Chapter Six

Kagome worked on her outfit as she glanced at Bai, and she gave a small sigh as she saw how awkward she was.

"How did you end up in this world?" Kagome asked, breaking the silence. She could see Parker sit down not far from them, watching her. She had a feeling he wanted to know more as well, out of curiosity or out of wanting to know more about her, she wasn't sure.

"I...um..." Bai paused, eyes still going to Parker then back to Kagome, "I ended up tripping when I was out on one of my free days from school..." A blush came to Bai's cheeks at what she was going to admit, "I tripped when I was crossing the street and the next thing I knew I was in the woods and wolves were chasing me.."

Kagome bit back the comment she wanted to say, as she gave a nod to the girl, "That is one way to fall into a new world." It really was...tripping and ending up in a new world. That was definitely something from a manga...

"If I may ask...how did you come here?" Bai was curious about the woman before her, she seemed kind but also gave off a mature beauty vibe she could respect.

Kagome kept on sewing a low hum leaving her lips as she glanced over to Parker, "I guess...I am a bit special." She wasn't trying to be vain. She just knew her life wasn't normal. Her powers weren't normal for the day and age she was born into.

"I am not a normal human..."Kagome told the girl, she could see Parker's ears twitch as he leaned forward at her confession.

"I am originally from Japan, I grew up on a shrine...I am a miko...but a miko with powers." She was just going to come out and say it. There was no use hiding this fact. She could learn to let her powers be used out in the open while she was here. She didn't want to have to hide her powers. If she could save someone, she wouldn't hold back because she was scared to reveal herself and her powers.

Bai blinked at this. She had heard of things in stories but never seen something like that before, "Powers?" She wanted to know more.

Kagome set her clothes down and held out her hand as she willed a small bit of power to come to her, and in her hand, a soft pink glow illuminated the room. She could hear the intake of air from both occupants in the room.

She let the power recede, "I was born with this power. To heal and to protect. It is something I trained hard for, for the last few years. I had ended up here because I was the guardian of a powerful artifact and because of that artifact I ended up in this world." She wasn't going to bare her soul and tell Bai everything. She didn't want to tell her the bloody details she wasn't even over yet.

"I was found about a week before you arrived here..." Kagome picked the needle, fabric, and furs up, resuming what she was making, "I haven't figured out how I got here. I don't think there is a way back either." Her blue eyes flickered to Parker who made a sound. She was giving information she hadn't told him yet. She would tell him more when the two of them were alone if need be, but she wasn't telling Bai everything.

The girl seemed to be a bit naive and trusting. She didn't know if she could trust her with all the information.

Bai sighed, "I see..." She went silent, fidgeting with the hem of her clothing, a sad smile on her lips.

"Are you going to keep putting those...marks on your face?" Kagome asked, trying to change the subject to something less depressing for the both of them.

"Um...yes?" Bai told Kagome, who raised an eyebrow since it seemed to come out more as a question than an answer.

"I learned that it is normal to take more than one person as a ..." Bai licked her lips as if trying to figure out the right word, "...mate?" She looked to Kagome who nodded at the right use of the word.

"They also tend to want good-looking girls..." Bai shrugged feeling uncomfortable, "I don't want my looks to be a factor in that and I want to find a way home. So wouldn't finding a mate be bad if I want to leave?"

Kagome could see her reasoning, but she was thinking too...human. She had spent a lot of time around demons so she understood things on how these beast people worked compared to how humans thought. She had adapted to thinking more on demon terms than humans at times...so Kagome really did see where Bai was coming from.

"If you can't find your way home...will you adapt to the culture here...or keep to yours?"Kagome wanted to know if she would adapt, or try to bring her culture into it. She could understand wanting some things from home, but this was a different world. She would be in for a rude awakening if she expected things to be the same or could be changed to how she used to do things.

Bai stayed silent at this, she didn't know what she would do if she couldn't find a way home. She knew she was a person who only wanted one person to love. She didn't think she could be selfish enough to love more than one person...

"I will try to adapt...but there are some things I am not comfortable with that I have learned about this world." She shifted, her eyes going to the leopard beast before back to the older woman.

"That is understandable." Kagome smiled, bringing one of her hands up to sit on Bai's head, giving it a light pet, "Just try. Learn and adapt. That is all you can do."

"I think that is enough of a heart-to-heart for today. You are staying in the common hut right?" Kagome asked the brown-haired girl. Bai nodded as she stood, dusting her dress off.

"Then you should relax and try to learn about this place. I know you said you were from the Ape clan?" Kagome didn't want to accuse the girl, but lying wasn't always the best thing to do.

"It might be good to learn more about that clan if you are saying you are from it..."Kagome told the girl if she was going to lie. She wasn't going to say anything, she wouldn't cover for her, but she wouldn't out her.

"Um...thanks..." Bai said, unsure of what to say to that.

"Parker, will you walk her back?" Kagome didn't want her to walk back by herself, her ankle probably wasn't all the way healed...that and she was somewhere new and it wouldn't be a good thing to end up somewhere she shouldn't.

"Will do!" Parker shot up, moving to the door so he could lead the other human out. His gold eyes went to Kagome watching her every move. She seemed sad, and he didn't know why. He would have to talk to her more later about some of the information she dropped. The powers she had seemed close to the Ape clan leader...but different at the same time. He had so many questions but he didn't want to ask them if it made his woman sad.

He would have to figure something out, for now, he would take Bai back to the common hut, then he would come back home to spend time with his woman. He would cook her food and they would have a relaxing day.

Kagome sent the two off with a smile before turning her attention back to her project, it was almost done, it wasn't the best but it would do for now until she could get more furs and fabrics. Holding up her creation she decided it was good enough to try on and adjust what needed to be adjusted. Standing she began to untie the knots that held Parker's semi-large furs on her body.

Letting them fall she shivered, the cool air wrapping around her almost naked flesh. Her chest was bound by bandages given to her by Harvey, her breasts were far too large to be unbound and unsupported, and over her bottom half was a loincloth procured for her by Parker. New world or not she had some lines she wouldn't cross and wandering around in a skirt of any kind without an under covering was one of them.

Her luck was never the best in the past and she had gotten used to being randomly attacked by demons after the jewel shards and she would rather not flash the whole world her privates if it could be helped.

Shaking her head to free them of the rambling thoughts she began to pull on her newly made clothes. She had been able to use the red fabric of hamaka's to make a shirt, it had cutouts where her shoulders were and went down to her upper arms, yet it still had enough fabric to cover her chest and stop above her belly button. The rest of her stomach was covered by the dark brown rabbit fur.

Her bottoms were a mixture of rabbit pelt and white fabric sourced from her top which due to the blood on it had been stained a light pink in places. The rest of the rabbit pelt had been turned into shin guards much like the ones Kouga had worn once upon a time. It was a hard lesson to learn but running around in the wilderness with naked legs often left them cut and beat up.

Running her hands over the top she tucked things in here and there and feeling a bit giddy and silly she gave a twirl and let out a small laugh as the knee-length skirt flowed around her.

"I'm back-!" Parker made a garbled noise as he entered the hut, his eyes taking in the way Kagome spun on her heel and paused as she turned to face him, a light flush on her cheeks. He felt his own heat up as his eyes ran over her from, her new clothes did her far more justice than his furs ever could. They clung to her in the right places, the dark fur of the rabbit making the red and white of her outfit pop.

"Oh! Look Parker! What do you think?" She beamed up at him, a light flush dusting her cheeks at being caught being silly. It was a bit embarrassing but oh well, she was after all only human and she had her faults.

"You look amazing. I'm really going to have my work cut out for me keeping those other bastards away..." The last part was a low grumble that made her frown. She could practically feel his self-doubt leak into his words and it upset her. She was so used to the bravado and cheerful optimism that to hear such a thing in his voice...out there by her...it upset her greatly.

Moving forward she grabbed his larger hands in hers, making him look down at her in shock. "Um, I still have some rabbit fur left...if you want I can make you a matching bracelet? Maybe..." Was it too forward for her? She didn't want to offend him by making him feel like she was treating him like a female...

Parker beamed, his hands clasping onto hers. "Yes! Oh! I know! If you make me a bracelet I'll let you have my necklace!" Instantly he was tugging the leather cord over his head to hand it over to her. He was practically vibrating with happiness! Already she wanted to exchange courting gifts!

Kagome paused, she had an inkling that this small gift exchange of theirs held a much deeper meaning than just friends but honestly if it would chase away that horrid sound of self-doubt that had laced Parker's voice earlier she would deal with the fall out later.

Maybe she could make a bracelet for Bai as well? That way it showed that while she cared about him, she also cared about Bai and considered them friends, and friends often exchanged gifts.