Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters; that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own Final Fantasy (any of the titles), that right belongs to the game developers, Artist, storyboard writers and Sony/Square soft!


Mideel Village (2 ½ weeks later)

The next few weeks flew by so quickly that I couldn't believe it was already time to go. My mind wandered back over the last two weeks, recalling the various events. There had been a birth that I had helped assist in, saving the mother from hemorrhaging from natural childbirth, a massive hunt where the women introduced me to the proper rituals of a young unmarried female of the village, the Elder taking me into confidence about a few matters and how to appropriately deal with them. And last but not least, the children...watching them grow, learn and play, as they bonded with me. There was a small tug in my chest as I watched Hojo make his way towards me, his hands clasped behind his back and hunched over like always.

Our eyes met, and we silently communicated as I continued to draw pictures in the dirt while telling the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty to the children. So when his shadow was cast over us as we sat there in the dirt, I just smiled and finished up the story. The various reactions from the kids at the end made me laugh a little bit as I stood up and dusted myself off. Soon, silence washed over the small group as they looked from Hojo to me and back again, wondering what was going on since he had only approached me one other time since he arrived in the village to introduce himself. After that, he had politely avoided me to no end, which was perfectly fine with me, since the alien Jenova in him made me want to purify his ass to kingdom come and back again instantly.

"Ms. Higurashi, may I talk to you, please?" he asked, his voice very smooth yet still commanding.

Raising an eyebrow, I felt my hand being grasped by smaller ones, making me look down at them and smile before looking back at the man himself. "Sure, I'm free right now. What do you need, Doctor?" Keeping my voice as neutral as possible, I looked into his fathomless obsidian eyes.

With a soft cough, he straightened himself up to his full height, then spoke to me, "I was wondering if you might consider going with me to the mainland. You have a natural aptitude for the healing arts and thought that you might want to study that field. If not, then to see more of the world at least, which is something I think any person should do at some point."

There were soft gasps and a few cries from the children at his words, to which I just smiled calmly before making my own rehearsed reply. "You honor me, Dr. Hojo, with your words. I am humbled that you want me to come with you, but may I please have some time to think about it?"

A small glimmer appearing deep in his eyes, he smiled, making his face transform into something genuinely handsome. "I plan to leave tomorrow afternoon. It is a long trip, so may I ask that I have your answer in the morning? That is if it isn't too much of a problem." His words were silky smooth as he spoke, making me want to burst out laughing at his coquettishness.

Not bothering to say a single thing, I just nodded my head in agreement to his request. Then I watched as he let himself slump back over, turn, and walk away at his idle speed. My attention was drawn back to the children as they tugged on my hand and skirt., their eyes holding a mix of emotions at what they just heard as they pleaded with me to not leave them. Smiling at them, I extracted my hands from theirs and shook my head at them before walking away, making it look like I was thinking about what Hojo had asked of me.

Though in all reality, I was starting to second guess my decision, though deep down, I knew I couldn't stay in this little village. There was something in this world that I had to do, and the only way I would figure it out would be to go with Dr. Hojo. Giving a small sigh of frustration, I finally reached the doorway to my small thatch-roofed hut and looked over my shoulder, wondering when the people would start coming to ask me if I was leaving. There was only one person I had to confirm with, and that was the village elder. Allowing my eyes to shut, I leaned against the door frame, before opening them and heading into the cool darkness of my temporary home.

"Are you sure you really wanna do this? I mean, you know that man isn't the most trustworthy person, especially with that...she-devil thing inside of him," Ara Mitama's voice echoed in my head.

"He is a convenient means to an end, and you know it. Besides, I can always purify that thing, Ara. What do you say to others? I know you're all teeming with your thoughts and comments. Now is the time to speak up while I am alone," I whispered back to them, waiting for the flood to happen now that I had opened the gate.

"W-well, if you w-wanna know, I think you should be wary at all times and ready to do just that at an s-second's notice, K-Kagome-H-Hime," was Nigi Mitama's reply, which was promptly followed by a barking laugh from Ara.

With a small roll of my eyes, I made my way over to my beaten up yellow backpack, only to hear the soft reply from Kusi Mitama, "You are doing the right thing, I think Kagome, but still, they are right on being cautious. We cannot protect you all the time, and you know that you will only be able to protect yourself after mastering the Shikon no Tama."

Pausing, I started to bend down to rummage through my backpack, then blinked once with a sigh. "Yes, I know. Already in the last three weeks of me being here, you have all taught me so much about the jewel. Though I know full well that there is so much more than you have left to teach me, and more for me to learn about this jewel on my own since it was my ancestor Midoriko's soul who made it and me, her reincarnation."

With a sigh, I let myself flop onto the hard-packed earth and stared at my bag. "Well, I know for a fact that this isn't what you had in mind when you made your wish, Goggles... But hey, do know that one way or another, you will find the person who will love you unconditionally. Though I think your extended life might be a bit of a problem for them unless there is a unique trait about them or you pass the jewel onto a successor of your bloodline. You, Missy, are a very pure being, and it is hard to imagine that with all you had gone through for three years, that you are still this pure and benevolent, especially with that nasty mischievous streak you have, on top of your sassy mouth and sharp-edged tongue," was Saki's cooing admonishment to me.

Unable to help myself, I let a small, almost humorless laugh escape my lips at her words. She was right about a lot of things, especially me being so pure still. There was a great darkness in my heart, but never would I allow it out to taint me or the jewel. Though I would be lying if I said that I hadn't thought about inflicting bodily harm on people. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, I let my mind clear itself before reaching out to grab my backpack. Pulling it to my lap, I opened it to rummage through and make sure I still had all I needed.

Satisfied that all my belongings, both old and new, were still in the bag, I closed it and latched it securely. Tossing it back to where I had been sitting, I quickly stood before going over to my bamboo sleeping mat. With a swift motion, I grabbed my bow before heading back out of my hut. I figured I'd go hunting, giving the village fold a chance to tell the Elder what had occurred earlier. With a smile on my lips and a small jump, I ran into the jungle forest to find my thoughts and practice what I had learned about body manipulation.


I made my way back to the village after several hours of practicing abilities with my powers, building my synchronization up with Shikon no Tama, and I was feeling a bit sore in various places on my body. No one would notice the stiffness that was setting in with the satisfied smile on my lips or the six small jungle animals I carried in my hand. My eyes shone brightly as the sun had just started its descent in the sky for early evening, casting a varying array of colors across the sky, only barely visible through the dense covering of the trees.

I took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the jungle, and let it settle in my mind as a memory I would cherish. Each step took me closer and closer to the village, as small butterflies flitted around in my stomach. I was opening up my senses, allowing my inborn Miko sense to fill it, giving me the ability to see the people in the village. Seeing a familiar aura of the Elder at my hut, I let out a soft sigh as I picked up my pace to a swift jog, allowing me to clear the edge of the jungle in two minutes instead of it taking longer. Slowing down, I stepped up behind my hut and walked around to see the Elder just standing there patiently.

"Good evening, Elder. I am sorry if you have been waiting long. What can I do for you?" I asked as I watched the man jump and turn to look at me with wide, dark eyes.

After he blinked a few times, he let a small smile curve his lips briefly before going back to neutral and speaking softly, "Ah, there is a rumor floating around the village, and I want to confirm it with you."

Giving him a nod of my head, I motioned for him to enter my hut, then followed him in. Using my bow, I pointed to where he should sit, as I went over to a small, low hand-built wooden shelf. Laying my bow against the wall, I grabbed a hide mat, as well as a long, curved knife and a beaten metal pot. Then I made my way to sit across from the Elder, who just watched me calmly, waiting for me to be ready to talk.

Kneeling so I was sitting on my calves, I set up my stuff and began to skin and gut my kills as I spoke to him. "What would this rumor be that you want to confirm with me, Elder?" My voice was soft as I took my knife and ran it from the throat of the creature to its groin in a swift motion.

"That our guest, Dr. Hojo, asked you to go with him when he leaves tomorrow. If this is true, do you intend to go with him?" he asked, his voice still calm and neutral, but showing a bit of distress.

Flicking my eyes up at him, I heaved a deep sigh, while using my free hand to scoop out the innards of the animal. "Yes, he did ask me this morning. He thinks that I would benefit from going to the mainland, seeing many sights, and learning more medical skills. He thinks I have a natural aptitude for them to begin with. As for my answer, I think it would be a perfect opportunity for me as well, though I would like to ask you something before making my final choice," I replied, allowing my own real emotions to slip in.

"I see. And what would you like to ask of me, Kagome." The Elders' voice became a bit stern at my reply, showing his dislike of the idea.

Stopping what I was doing so, I could look him in the eyes; I gave him the respect he deserved as I spoke. "I want to know if I would be welcomed back to the village to live out my days. This place has become a home to me, Elder. The people and ways are so much what I was used to back in my homeland, but more laid back and not so dangerous and hectic if you will."

I watched him blink again, trying to regain his composure, letting me know that I had asked something unexpected. To see the man who was always stoic and in control of his thoughts and emotions shaken by what I had asked, made me smile a bit on the inside. Slowly, he came back to himself with a small shake of his head, causing graying hair to shift around his face. Those dark eyes met mine, as a glimmer of mirth danced in their depths.

"If that is all that is keeping you from making your decision, then you're a silly woman, Kagome. You will always be welcomed in this village, and it makes me happy that you see this place as your home away from home. I just worry that out there, he or others will take advantage of your...innate abilities, if you will. Kagome, I am not stupid. Already I have pieced together that whatever fell from the sky was more than likely you since you showed up here only a short time after its landing. To boot your dress code, looks, and again those innate abilities you think you hide so well, mark you as someone not from this place or even this world. In my youth, I wandered around this whole world for fifteen years, before coming home a lot wiser." His voice was kind and full of humor as he spoke like a father to me.

To say I was caught off-guard by his astute observations and acceptance of me was putting it lightly, but all I was able to do as I tried to put myself back together was laugh aloud in amusement. Seeing him break out into a smile, I took a few deep breaths to stop laughing as I returned to my skinning. A sense of peace and contentment was filling me up, letting me know I had a home if I wanted it.

"Thank you so much, Elder. I would like to explore this world as well, and I thank you for not mentioning my... gifts to anyone else, as well as that I am what fell from the sky that day. I am an alien if you will, not from this world or galaxy, but a parallel world. I finished my task there and was sent here for another one involving this world," I said before I could stop myself.

My brown eyes watched the Elder's reactions intently as he processed the information that I just gave him. The man just sat there with raised eyebrows, before leaning forward and placing his hands over mine, causing me to stop skinning the animal. There wasn't a care in the world that he was touching my bloody hands as he bonked his forehead against mine, eliciting a small gasp of shock and pain from me as I just continued to stare at him with confusion washing over me.

"There, you have my blessing to go and to come back. I don't care who, what or where you came from, Kagome. You are now a member of my village and family. Your road is a long and hard one. I don't doubt, but you're still a young lady. While you're out there, try to do some simple things. One, remain true to yourself and your feelings. Two, be wary of everyone, cause if they find out about your...gifts as you call them, you will be used and experimented on. Three, find some romance, play the field to see what you want in a person, whether they are male or female," he said with a barking laugh, as he let go of me and stood up.

Following him with my eyes, I felt heat suffuse my face. I could feel my jaw working as no words would come bidden to my lips, my mind reeling as I heard four distinctive bursts of laughter echo in my mind. The look on his face as he waved goodbye to me only made me feel hotter than I thought possible. Hanging my head, so I was looking at my blood-covered hands, allowing the tears of happiness to fall down my face, I started to laugh with a bit of hysteria in the whole situation.

After a few minutes of letting myself go with my emotions, I stopped and got back to work. Humming an Utada Hikaru song to myself, I made quick work of the animal and the other five. They'd make for good jerky and stew meat since they were thin, stringy, and a bit tough. It would be my gift to the village, and though meager, I knew it would be much appreciated since catching the game around here was a challenge, making most of their diet fish.

With a glance out the window, I could see that the sky was turning more of a darker purple-blue instead of the bright gold, orange, and pink of sunset, letting me know that it was almost time for the village to gather in the center for the evening meal. Sighing as I stood up, I picked up all my tools except the mat with the meat on it and took them to a small dip in the ground lined with a thin metal I figured was copper. Setting it all in there, I pulled on a rope to pour water into it to soak them so they'd be easier to clean later.

After finishing it all up and washing the blood from hands, I turned and headed back to the mat, which I carefully rolled so as not to bruise the meat, and walked to the center of the village. I knew that I would have to tell them all of my decision, but that's okay since I now knew that the Elder would be backing me up. With his support, no one could refute my choice; I couldn't help wondering if Dr. Hojo would be showing the right facial expression and emotional reactions.

Approaching the massive fire, I was able to see almost everyone already gathered, each person or family bringing their contribution to the evening meal. A small pang resounded in my heart at having to tell them I was choosing to leave the island. Letting out a little sigh, I took the last few steps to stand in the light and its warmth, earning me a few looks but still the usual greetings from most of everyone. With a small shake of my head, I laughed as the children ran up, clinging to me, their eyes showing their emotions as they asked in almost perfect unison what I was going to do, causing a quiet to settle over the area.

Taking a deep breath, I crouched down on their level to speak in a soft but very clear and firm voice. "I have decided to take the Doctor up on his offer. There is a whole world outside of this forest and island. But... I have talked it over with the Elder, and he agreed that when I am ready, I can come back to the village and live here. All of you should have faith that I want to come back to this place and live here. It has become my home."

There was much whining from the kids, as a few adults made a soft sighing sound, but all around, it was a generally accepted thing since the Elder had given his consent. A few of them came to talk to me after I finished, and we got the meat I brought cut up and cooked. Each said their peace, but the overall consensus was that they would miss me. At one point, I let my gaze drift to Dr. Hojo's, who seemed to show very little emotion, except for a small amount of gloating. This, of course, made me roll my eyes at him with a soft smile, which in turn caused the reclusive man to blink and look away as if suddenly shy and embarrassed.

TBC!