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!


Junon Docks: 1 week later

As soon as the boat docked and the loading plank landed with a resounding clang, Kagome wobbled down it before falling to her knees on the hard cement, not caring if it scraped her knees open. Then throwing her hands up in the air, she cried out, "Land, I will never take you for granted and hopefully never have to leave you again." Closing her blue eyes, she let her rolling stomach calm itself as she just sat there with the sounds of waves, gulls crying, people working their various jobs, and people talking instead loudly over the din.

Though she heard a few of the nearer people comment on her actions, it didn't matter to her at all at the current moment, since her stomach was finally settling down. Never had she been on a ship before, so how was she supposed to know that she would get seasick? The rolling waves continually rocking the boat was made worse when a storm blew through. Even with all tricks the Mitama's taught her, nothing helped her seasickness, which made her question how she was able to ride on the back of Inu Yasha's back all those times, because he jumped all over the place at high speed.

"Are you entirely done with the dramatics, Ms. Higurashi? Because I have to check in with whom my boss, President Shinra, sent to be my babysitter," Hojo drawled from behind her, making Kagome open her eyes as she tilted her head back further to see the man walking down the plank with a slightly amused look on his face.

Giving him an un-ladylike snort, she righted her head and proceeded to pick herself up off the dock. Making much to do about the dirt she had gotten on her bare legs, before turning to look at him, she raised an eyebrow at him in question, hoping he would give her a bit more of an explanation on what he meant. However, all Hojo did was turn away from her and walk down the dock, causing people to part from him with looks of fear and amazement on their faces. Kagome felt her eyes shoot wide open at their reactions.

After a few seconds of this, her brain finally caught up with what she was seeing, and she realized that he wasn't waiting for her at all. Puffing up her cheeks, she sprinted after him, calling out, "Dr. Hojo, wait up! Don't leave me here. I have no clue what is in this town. Besides, I am your guest, and you're insulting!"

She noted that her words earned her stares as the people moved further back from not only Hojo but herself as she caught up. The man himself gave her an obligatory side glance as he continued, leaving Kagome to continue to speculate just what she was getting herself into. Though she supposed it was a bit late to go back on her word, which she hadn't given, to begin with. So in silence, she continued to follow him down the dock and through the twists and turns until he came to a halt before a man dressed in a well-tailored black suit, long black hair pulled back into a ponytail that only highlighted his features.

She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing. Kagome wondered if this world had a place with a culture that was similar to her own in Japan, since the man before her looked Asian, though it was hard to tell since his eyes were hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses. She tilted her head to the left, then to the right, before finally standing straight and angling her head up a bit so she could meet his eyes since he was a few inches taller. She could tell he was aware of her actions, though his attention stayed focused on Hojo, who seemed to be nonchalant about it all.

"Professor Hojo, I am here to take you back to Midgar. May I inquire as to who this young lady standing beside you is? Because I was not told that there would be two for pick-up in my orders." The man spoke in a slightly accented voice, making Kagome narrow her blue eyes at him, distinguishing his accent as Japanese.

Letting her eyes drift to the side to glance at Hojo for a second, before letting them go back to looking at the man, Kagome heard Hojo speak, "She is someone I have acquired and has agreed to be my lab specimen. As for introductions, I think, Tseng of the Turks, she can handle that if you think you can talk to her."

Kagome didn't miss the hint of humor in his voice, making her purse her lips so that she wasn't smiling widely. In the weeks she was around him, she'd picked up on his body language and personality quirks, and sharing a cabin with the man had given her a new impression of precisely what he was really like. He always found a way to surprise her, including the fact that he was once married to a fellow scientist by the name of Lucrecia.

"Introductions will be left for later. Let me show you to the hotel we will be staying in. I will have to call ahead to the president and let him know that you're safe and have... a willing participant in your experiments." Tseng said the last part a bit drawn out as Kagome felt the full weight of his gaze land on her, even without turning his head towards her.

Plastering a broad smile on her lips at that and giving a small laugh at his reaction, Kagome lifted her hands and waved them in a shooing manner, indicating that she was ready to leave whenever. Her actions earned her a raised eyebrow and frown from Tseng, while Hojo just chuckled softly in his amused way, causing the other man to look at him like he had grown two more heads. This, of course, had Kagome laughing at the thought and how accurate that was.

"Well, don't just stand there, Turk. The young miss has indicated that you should lead the way. She is from Mideel, and this is her first time in a city like this, I believe. Again, all questions you have will have to be asked, because I don't care to be on the receiving end of her temper for answering for her," he said, muttering in his normal low voice and earning a dark look from Kagome for his jab at her.

This type of interaction had become a natural thing for them in the last week, but it got them a rather odd and confused look from Tseng before he turned on the ball of one foot and set off towards a sizable inclining hill. Rolling her shoulders, so her sizable yellow backpack was sitting higher, Kagome let her head drop back once more to try and see just how far up the city went. What she found, however, was what appeared to be a half-finished canon above her, making her whistle loudly.

When she looked down from the sight above her, she noted that the men were a reasonable distance away and starting up the incline. Grunting, she crouched, causing the muscles in her legs to bunch up, and took off at almost a full run. She quickly darted, spun, and weaved through the crowd of people that littered the dock and caught up to the two men just after they had begun the climb. Her blue eyes took in the sights, sounds, and smells, and she made mental landmarks of things, so if she was able to escape wherever they were staying and their babysitter, she could explore more.

As they walked in silence, Kagome observed her surroundings, and she took the time to watch Tseng, noting the predatory grace he walked with, showing that he was very well trained. The grace almost resembled Sesshomaru when he was around little Rin. Though he appeared to be relaxed, his body showed, to her trained eyes, that his muscles were coiled tightly like a cat ready to pounce on its prey at a moment's notice. She knew that while he didn't move his head at all, other than the regular motions everyone did, he was scanning anything and everything for a threat or attack.

Their walk up the hill gave her a rather impressive view of the ocean as the sun started to set, making the ocean look like it was bleeding red and gold. She was awed at the beauty of it before it was lost from view as they entered into a vast, squatting tunnel. A pout gracing her lips, she let her shoulders slump, and her backpack slid down and unbalanced her, making her gasp as her body tilted. Kagome stumbled but managed to twist her body ever so slightly to regain her upright, balanced position and sit the backpack on her shoulders correctly.

Her gaze then landed on Hojo, who just looked a bit annoyed at her display, and she tilted her head in question before looking forward once more. She found that Tseng had turned to see what had happened and had witnessed her correct herself. "If you are okay, may we proceed? The hotel is just on the other side of the tunnel," Tseng said, as he turned and began to walk again.

She narrowed her eyes, silently glad that he didn't ask any questions or anything. She had to admit though that his reaction to her giant backpack did strike her as odd. So far, everyone who had noticed the large pack on her back, full of gifts from the villagers, had done a double-take. But not Tseng; he acted like it was a natural thing for a girl like her to be carrying. A small, tight, thin smile curved her lips as an idea entered her head. Keeping her gaze forward, she let her eyes roam around, scanning and marking things in the mental map she was making.

The rest of their trip was quite short, for after leaving the tunnel only a few minutes after her mishap, they walked only twenty feet on a downgrade slope, only to stop in front of a five-story brick and cement building. "Here we are. Let's get checked in and then go to our room. It is on the top floor, so there should be plenty of privacy for me to receive a report," Tseng spoke softly as he entered the building.

Giving Hojo a look, she followed after Tseng, knowing from her reiki that Hojo was following instead closely behind her. The smell of smoke and booze hit her nose from a set of stairs leading down and made her wrinkle her nose in distaste. Her blue eyes sought out Tseng, and she found him at a counter, talking to a middle-aged man who was smoking a cigar. Deciding to wait patiently at the foot of the stairs heading up, Kagome looked at Hojo, who looked bored senseless at being there.

"Okay, we are checked in. Please follow me," Tseng said as he made for the stairs, stopping briefly to look at Hojo over her head.

When he was done, Tseng led them up to five flights of stairs to the only room on the fifth floor. Pulling out a small white card that looked banged up, he slid it through a scanner attached to the door. With a little click, the door popped open, granting them access, and Kagome took a step forward to enter the room, only to feel a hand grab her arm and hold her back. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Hojo shake his head minimally. Looking forward again, she saw that Tseng was gone, but the sounds of someone moving cautiously through the room was all the indication she needed to know he was making sure it was secure.

When Tseng was done, he flipped the lights on and peeked out the door, waving a hand to indicate it was safe to go. Not needing a second invitation, Kagome entered the room with Hojo right on her heels, closing the door after her. "All right then, since we are now safe, let's get some introductions done with," Tseng said in his accented voice, and he reached a hand up, removing the sunglasses to reveal a pair of chocolate eyes that held the pales hints of golden flecks.

Kagome just stared slightly slack-jawed at Tseng as he almost did a one-eighty personality flip. Noting that he was relaxing, she ogled his gorgeous eyes, at least until she was tapped on the head by Hojo as he passed her. "I believe that is your cue to introduce yourself, young lady," he muttered only for her to hear.

Blushing lightly as she collected her wits, Kagome took the few steps to one of the two beds in the room and let the yellow backpack slide down her arms to land on the bed, making it creak under the weight. Then moving to the side and sitting next to it, Kagome smiled like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Then in a soft voice, she spoke Japanese as she introduced herself, "Watashinonamaeha Higurashi Kagome. Oaidekiteureshīdesu, Tseng of the Turks."(*1)English translation: I am Kagome Higurashi. It is nice to meet you, Tseng of the Turks.

Kagome observed both men for their reactions. The smile on her lips only grew wider as Hojo did a double-take and hissed at her, while Tseng just went slack-jawed, making her mentally do a victory happy dance. Recognition was on both their faces at the words she spoke, letting her know that Japanese was a language of this world, or close enough to it. Raising a hand, she thrust it out towards Tseng for a handshake, already noting that Hojo had collected himself while giving her a gaze that told her he was reassessing her.

It took a few seconds before Tseng carefully reached a handout and took her in a firm grip, giving her hand and arm, giving it a steady pump motion. Kagome returned the grip before he let it go and coughed. "Tseng is fine, Ms. Higurashi. It is nice to hear my mother country's native language though it sounded a bit different from what I grew up with. Do you originally hail from Mideel Island, Ms. Higurashi?"

At his words, Kagome went still, letting her hand drop back into her lap. Her blue eyes locked onto his brown ones as she shook her head yes. At her answer, he looked at her with suspicion in his gaze, but as Tseng opened his mouth to make a reply, he was cut off with a cough from Hojo, bringing both their attention to him. Kagome let her gaze go hooded, though she sent him a silent thank you. She got only a sniff in her head from Jenova, making her blink her eyes and push a bit of her miko reiki towards Hojo, though there was no intention of letting it touch him.

"From what I got from the villagers, she washed up on the beach with no memory. She spoke the native tongue of Wutai but had no memory other than the day she woke up in their village. Kagome is a unique girl, so please don't pry. If her memory were to return naturally, that is good. But she willingly came with me to learn and be a specimen in my laboratory, so I expect you, Tseng, to not bother her. I believe that if pushed too much, she might have a mental break down trying to figure out her past," Hojo said, lying with ease through his lips.

Taking a peek at Tseng, Kagome saw him flinch back from Hojo's words and warning while he gave her a pitying and confused look. For some reason, she couldn't seem to figure out why he looked at her with confusion at her being a willing participant for Hojo's experiments. The man already had his warning that if he tried anything that involved altering her physically, genetically, or implanting the creature in her body, he would be dead in seconds. And she would make sure it was painful, self-defense or not.

When a cough broke the awkward silence that followed Hojo's story, Kagome and Tseng just looked at each other, each refusing to look away first, something she had gotten down pat from her staring matches with Sesshomaru. Finally, Tseng let his eyes flicker to the side, and he spoke, "Well, that is good to know, Professor. I won't ask further, but from the look of her, she is Wutainese like us, roughly twenty years of age, has physical capabilities, and can handle herself. I must know, did you find that meteorite that fell, or did it land in the ocean or disintegrate as far as you can tell, Professor Hojo," Tseng said.

Silence once more ensued, making Kagome look back and forth between the two men. Already, she connected the dots between Wutai being this world's Japan. That Hojo was also Wutai made her wonder because he didn't look at it, except for the slant to his eyes and black hair. Otherwise, his skin was ashen. Then again, hers was too, but that was because as far as she could tell, her father was not full Japanese. Tseng had the traditional golden yellow skin that would tan nicely, the brown eyes, and straight black hair.

She was pulled from her musings when she heard Hojo speak, "You may presume that the meteorite didn't crash land, but disintegrated. There was no trace of it anywhere, and the villagers said it didn't land on the island. I thoroughly combed over the area; there was no landing site. But I have acquired Kagome here, so I am satisfied with my little vacation. That is all I have to report. Also, tell him that he is not to have anything to do with Kagome. My finds are mine; it is stipulated in my contract unless they would benefit Shinra Inc. I assure you, Tseng, that she won't." The last words came out low, cold, and a threat that made Tseng nod his head.

Once Hojo was done talking, Tseng walked past Hojo and around the bed before exiting the room. Kagome looked at Hojo, who just turned his back to her and gazed out the window. Sticking her tongue at his back, she blew an absurdly loud raspberry that got no reaction. With a roll of her eyes, Kagome stood up and began to unpack her backpack, placing a small wooden box on the bed first, then pulling out odds and ends, before finally reaching her bathing supplies. Once she had what was left of her lilac and strawberry shampoo, conditioner, and body soap and her exfoliant glove in hand, she picked out a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt that said 'I'm a Cute Little Girl!" on the front and "And Will kick your butt!" on the back.

"I am taking a shower, Kenya! I will try not to take too long, but it has been forever since I have had an actual shower... so pardon me," she said, whisking by him and into the bathroom, a happy and very pleased smile on her lips as she shut the door.

In the span of five minutes, she had the water warming up, and her bathing supplies haphazardly tossed into the bottom of the tub. Her clean clothes were dropped on the back of the toilet, and her dirty clothes were thrown on the bathroom floor. The steam from the water was already starting to fog up the medium-sized mirror over the bathroom sink and counter. Giving a loud, slightly mad cackle of glee, Kagome jumped into the shower, hissing in delight as the hot water hit her skin.

Enjoying it as much as she could since she didn't know when her next one would come, Kagome quickly washed her hair and body before turning off the water and wringing out her long, thick and curly hair as much as possible. Then, with a sigh at having to get out, Kagome shifted the curtain to the side and stepped out of the stall. Taking a thin, well-used towel from the rack next to the shower, she dried herself off the best she could. Once she was satisfied that she wouldn't be leaking and dripping all over the place except down the back of her shirt, Kagome dressed quickly. She took the time to look herself over in the mirror and found herself glad that she had never worn this shirt in the village, though she might have an odd time explaining it to the men.

Sticking her tongue out at her reflection, Kagome bent down, gathering up her dirty laundry into her hands, figuring that she would come back for her bathing supplies in a bit. Then, she stepped out of the bathroom as quietly as possible, only to hear Tseng speaking to Hojo.

"...everything is good. There is only one problem I am foreseeing right now, Hojo. There are three of us and only two beds. Which of us is taking the floor?"

Suppressing a fit of giggles, Kagome walked the rest of the way into the room and tossed her clothes onto the bed next to the long wooden case. "I will sleep with Hojo since we slept together on the ship here. So, there should be no problem with anyone sleeping on the floor, right?" she said with a chipper voice and a wide, innocent smile.

Her words were met with mixed reactions, as Hojo sprayed his drink across the room in a fine mist, and Tseng went wide-eyed, pale-faced, looking back and forth between Kagome and Hojo. He was trying to figure out if she was joking or just how she could sleep with him. It was too much for her, and she broke down in peals of loud laughter, holding her sides. She slid to the floor, knowing Hojo was giving her a dark gaze, and Tseng, a complete look of horror at seeing what she said was true.

"Well... I uh... Can get another room if you two want to have alone time," he said quickly as color bloomed bright on both cheeks and across the bridge of his nose, which only made Kagome laugh harder and louder, causing tears to form at the corner of her eyes.

With a cough, Hojo put his glass on the little table, still giving Kagome a very dark glare. "No, that won't be necessary, Tseng. You are taking what she said way out of context, but then again, with how she specifically worded it, it is hard not to. We had to share a cabin. I gave her the bed, but more often than not, she curled up next to me after having nightmares or something of the like. So, eventually, I just slept on the little bunk the ship provided in their rooms. Nothing and I mean nothing, of the sexual nature, ever transpired between us," he said in a whip-like voice as a malicious smile curved his lips. "And as far as I can tell, she is very much a naive, little virgin, not my type to begin with. I prefer aged experienced women."

A soft oh was heard from Tseng in the silence that was made by Kagome, suddenly stopping her laughing. Her blue eyes sparkled dangerously as she glared up at Hojo from her spot on the floor as the man himself seemed to smirk in a taunting manner down at her. With a low growl, Kagome stood up, stuck her tongue at the man, before presenting both of them her back as she headed back into the bathroom to get her stuff.

When Kagome stepped into the bathroom, Tseng had collected himself enough to speak. "I am sorry for taking that out of context, Hojo, since I am well aware of your sexual preferences. But she is a different type, one that makes you curious. So uh, will you share the bed with her? And the nightmares, are they frequent?"

Giving a soft sniff at Kagome's reaction, glad that she kept her temper in check and didn't try to zap him with what she called Reiki, Hojo answered Tseng. "Yes, I will share the bed with her. As for the nightmares, they seemed to be semi-frequent, though she won't tell me what they are about. By the way, when do we leave tomorrow for Midgar, and what type of transportation are we taking?"

From in the bathroom, she heard them talking, making her pout a bit. However, she was glad that she had kept her temper and powers under wraps. The last thing she needed was to show what she was capable of again and have it become public knowledge. Taking her time to gather her bathing supplies, she used another of the thin towels to dry them off so that they didn't soak everything else in her backpack, then made her way back to her roommates for the night just as Tseng was responding to Hojo.

"Well, we leave at nine am, and we're taking the Helicopter. President Shinra wants you to report in as quickly as possible, but I made sure that we were leaving late so you could sleep in a bit," Tseng said, a small pleased quirk to his lips.

Not saying anything, Kagome began to pack her stuff back into the backpack, making sure it all fit before pulling the flap over and buckling it tightly. Then, with great care, she lifted the wooden box and rubbed her hand over the polished wood. Inside held her most precious possession other than the Shikon no Tama - her trusty, well-worn bow that would, she hoped, serve a purpose in the future.

TBC!