Note: This chapter starts out kinda weird, and the characters are OOC, but that's because- Whoops! Can't tell you yet!
CHAPTER 1: AN UNEXPECTED TURN OF EVENTS
"The hypotenuse, equal to the square root of 7,800.123, or "J," is twice the size of the legs, which have a 28.287 degree angle. Giving this information, it is relatively simple to determine the fact that X to the second power would equal half the leg in addition to the hypotenuse. Therefore, the Cosine of J would have to be half the hypotenuse's length, and therefore…Miss Higurashi, are you getting any of this?"
Kagome stared out the window for the entire math class. She was supposed to go back to the Feudal Period after school, and Inu-Yasha would be angry if she was late.
"Miss Higurashi?" asked the teacher yet again.
"Ah!" exclaimed Kagome, realizing where she was. "Um… yeah! I totally understood that!"
"Well, Miss Higurashi," said the teacher with a sarcastic smirk. "Would you care to tell the class what "J" is equal to?"
Kagome flinched. "Um…" she said
A number…
She told herself.
Think of a number… ANY number…
"Um… seven?" Was her timid reply.
"That couldn't be more wrong, Miss Higurashi." The teacher shook his head in dismay. "Would anyone else care to explain this to her?"
A boy sitting next to Kagome raised his hand. "Feh. I'll try…"
"Very good, Mister…"
"Inu-Yasha." The boy answered for him.
Kagome's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"I-INU YASHA?! What are YOU doing here?!" Kagome yelled. Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes.
"Never you mind that." He scoffed. "Look here, Kagome. It's really very easy." He said, picking up a pencil and pointing to the textbook with it. He was in typical Japanese Schoolboy attire, something Kagome found to be quite strange.
"Look." He said, flatly. "If 'J' is equal to the square root of 7,800.123, and the tangent, relative to figure A, is 12.5 over 9, then J has to be twice the hypotenuse divided by twelve when added to 48.2. Get it?"
Kagome made a facial expression as if she had been told that black was white, up was down.
"H-" she stuttered. "How the hell do YOU know all this?!"
Inu-Yasha sighed. "Any dolt should know this."
"What?!" said Kagome, harshly. "Then what does that make me?!"
Inu-Yasha narrowed his eyes. "Don't ask ME. Maybe someone whose good at dealing with amateurs could be of more help then I…"
"I could give it a shot!" came a cheerful voice from across the room. He had long, flowing white hair, tiger stripes on his face, and a crescent on his forehead. "It's really pretty easy!" he said with enthusiasm.
"SESHHOMARU?!" Kagome yelled in disbelief. "Stay away from me, you monster!"
"M-monster?" Sesshomaru was obviously hurt. "I just wanted to help…"
"Calm down, Kagome!" said Inu-Yasha in disgust. "Besides, Sesshomaru is REALLY good at math!"
Sesshomaru beamed. "Well, now. While my brother did mention most of it, he left out the part about the legs of the right triangle here…"
"…that's because I thought it was obvious." Scoffed Inu-Yasha.
"Anyway…" Sesshomaru continued. "The two legs are Equal to half of "J", meaning that in this case, angle B is equal to 32.88. If that's the case, then J, relative to figure A, has twice the square root of M in figure C."
"Don't forget to mention the ratio of the Tangent via the hypotenuse!" Piped a man from the back of the class. He had black hair, a thin ponytail, and many earrings. He wore some beads around his wrist and hand. "The Cosine IS equal to half the angle, after all…"
"M-Miroku?"
"Then you just add up the variables and the Sin!" Chirped a short boy with ruddish red hair pulled back in a bun, and very pointy ears. "It's simple, right?"
"SHIPPOU?!"
"Now, just add up the variables, divide by 12, multiply by half the cosine, and you're done!" Said Sesshomaru, cheerfully. "The answer is 2812798461294610287640.9821639862149!!! It's that simple!"
"WHY DO YOU ALL KNOW THIS?!" Kagome screamed. "NONE OF YOU HAVE EVER SET FOOT IN A SCHOOL, LET ALONE MATH CLASS!"
"We're just trying to help, Kagome." Inu-Yasha gave Kagome a hard look. "Don't take it out on us."
"Yeah! It's easy, right Kagome?" Shippou asked.
"NO! IT ISN'T! WHY?! WHY DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THIS BUT ME?!"
"Very good. Now…" Continued the teacher. "Since you all seem to know this fairly well, there will be no homework for any of you…"
Kagome sighed. "Well, THAT'S a relief…"
"…with the exception of Miss Higurashi, who must finish every problem in this book by tomorrow."
The teacher plopped down a huge book entitled, "Every Math Problem Ever Written" on Kagome's desk. "Good luck!" Said the teacher.
"This isn't fair!" Screamed Kagome. She stood up in her desk abruptly, and slammed both palms on it, making a loud sound. She was sweating bullets.
"Take it easy!" said Miroku. "We'll help you, of course!"
"Yeah!" Chirped Shippou. "We'll get it done in no time!"
This can't be happening…
Thought's raced through her mind like a hurricane. "NO!" She Screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
****
"AHH!"
Kagome woke up in a room in a Japanese Inn in the feudal era. Miroku had managed to convince the innkeeper that there were dark spirits lurking about that needed to be exorcised. All he asked for in return was room and board, a deal that, given the fact that there were no spirits to begin with, was pretty good.
"Kagome!" Screamed Inu-Yasha. "What's the matter?!"
"What is the trouble, Kagome?" asked a curious Miroku.
"Huh?" Kagome asked, puzzled. "What are you talking about?!"
"What are we- YOU WERE SCREAMING!" replied Inu-Yasha.
The screen doors flung open, and the innkeeper hurried in. "Is there a problem?" he asked, frantically.
"It was nothing." Kagome replied. "I just had a nightma-" But Miroku covered her mouth with his hand before she could finish.
"Ah, yes." Said Miroku, full of determination. "This woman was possessed by one of the many evil spirits lurking about. Fortunately, I am about to exorcise it right now." Miroku bowed his head, closed his eyes, and slapped his hands together. He began chanting words that he was clearly making up on the spot. Evident to all but the innkeeper, anyway. The innkeeper couldn't see Miroku's face from where he was standing, but Kagome could tell that he was trying to keep himself from laughing.
"Ha!" screamed Miroku, clapping his hands one final time. "There. The vengeful mononoke have left her body."
The Innkeeper beamed with joy. "Oh thank you, kind monk!" he lavished. "We are most fortunate to have you here. Thank you, thank you!" The man bowed profusely and exited the room.
"People will believe anything, if you know how to sell it." Miroku said, clearly pleased with himself. "Anyway, you were saying you had a nightmare?"
"Yeah."
"Well…" said Miroku, a look of sympathy on his face. "If you're still scared, you can sleep with me." He smiled, taking Kagome's hand. Kagome, however, instantly jerked her arm out of Miroku's lustful grasp.
"That… won't be necessary." Said Kagome, polite yet firm.
"Yeah!" Inu-Yasha agreed, clearly angry. He then proceeded to whonk Miroku on the head.
"Ow! Hey!" said Miroku, in pain. "I was just joking!"
"Inu-Yasha sama, that wasn't really necessary, was it?" Chirped Myoga, from Inu-Yasha's shoulder. To answer his question, Inu-Yasha slammed his hand on Myoga, as if to pop the little insect like a zit. Myoga fell to the floor, then got back up, and dusted himself off.
"Now THAT was unnecessary!" He said, vexed. Inu-Yasha raised his hand again to threaten the insect.
"Silence, flea!" He ordered. Myoga cringed, then remained silent.
Miroku gave a sly smile and shrugged. "Anyway…" he said, turning back to Kagome. "What was your nightmare about?"
"Well…" Began Kagome. "I was in math class, and…"
Kagome's face turned white as a sheet. "Math class?! OH NO! WHAT TIME IS IT?!" she demanded.
Evidently, she forgot that outside of primitive deices that would eventually become clocks and watches, none currently existed in this era. She ran outside, and saw that the sun was beginning to rise.
"Ahh! I'm gonna be LATE!!!" And with that she chased off toward the well. Inu-Yasha, however, was fast on her heels.
"You SAID you wouldn't have to do this for a while!" he yelled, at this point, they were running side by side.
"I said I wouldn't have to go IF I didn't have any upcoming tests, which I do." She huffed between strides. "Unless…"
She stopped running, and pulled out a math book from her bag. She was hoping that maybe the dream she had had some merit to it.
"Inu-Yasha… you wouldn't happen to know the answer to this problem, would you?"
Inu-Yasha snatched the book from her, and flipped to a random page.
X/12 –14 + COS=144 –2 = B
"I can't even read this!" he said in frustration. "What ARE these indecipherable runes supposed to mean, anyway?!"
"So…" Kagome said timidly. "You don't know the answer?"
"How the hell should I know?" he responded gruffly. Kagome sighed. "Never mind…" and with that, she stuffed the book back into her bag, and took off.
****
Kagome took her seat in math class, and looked around to make sure that none of her "Friends" from the feudal era were here, like in her horrible nightmare.
"Class…" the teacher began. But something wasn't right. He looked very depressed, and was rubbing his brow. "I have some good news and some bad news…" he stated solemnly. "The bad news is…" he rubbed his brow again and sighed. "I'm sorry. This is hard for me to say…" he took a few deep breaths, and regained his composure. "Dean Reese, the transfer student from America, has been missing for a few days." He began, sighing yet again. "Yesterday… he was found… in an alley…" he gulped, and braced himself and the students for the news he was about to say. "…brutally murdered. A Dumpster, had somehow crashed into him at high speed." He paused. "I know that doesn't make much sense, and the police are investigating as we speak. I'm sorry… this had to happen…"
The students were silent, some with mouths agape. A female student in the back was crying. Kagome didn't know what to think. Nobody deserved to DIE, but she didn't know the guy very well, as she had been gone half the time.
"Anyways, there is some good news, although it won't make up for the tragedy that just happened… a student transferred here about a week ago, and did so well in math, he has been bumped up to this higher-level class. His name is Naota Kirisawa. Please do your best to welcome him, under the current circumstances…"
A boy at the front of the class stood up. He had black shoulder-length hair, dark eyes, and was relatively short for his age.
"My name is Naota Kirisawa. I see I have come at a bad time. I didn't know Dean very well, but I was sorry to hear of this tragedy." He stated.
"Oh, by the way…" said the teacher. "Because of Dean's…unfortunate passing… there is an open slot on the track team. You have it, according to the coach."
"I see." Said Naota, flatly. "If I am to fill in for Dean, then I must do my best to live up to his name." And with that, he took his seat.
The teacher handed out the tests, and returned to his desk at the front of the room.
"You may begin anytime." He said, subdued.
****
Kagome heaved a sigh of relief after the test was over, and the bell had rung. Se stood outside the hallway, leaned against the wall, and sighed.
But suddenly she heard a loud Slam to the right of her. She looked over, and saw three members of the track team, one of them was grabbing Naota, the new kid, by the collar, and had slammed him up against the lockers.
"You little BASTARD! YOU did it, didn't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Naota protested.
"Bullshit!" Screamed the track team captain, and slammed him up against the lockers yet again. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! I'm talking about Dean! You killed him!" And with that he hit Naota with a hard right, Naota staggered.
"Admit it!" screamed the man. "You-"
"Hey!" interjected Kagome. She had heard and seen just about enough, and decided to step in. "He was killed by a large object moving at high speeds, according to the police. How could one student by himself have done something like that?"
"Do you know what you're dealing with?!" said one of the lackeys of the track team captain.
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Not much, evidently."
The track team captain sneered at Kagome, then sighed in defeat. He shoved Naota against the lockers one more time.
"You listen to me, you little bastard! I don't know HOW you did it, nor do I have any real proof. But I KNOW you did it. And as soon as I find out, you're DEAD." He scoffed at him for good measure, then turned to his lackeys. "Let's go, guys." He said coldly.
Kagome helped the boy to his feet, his lip was bleeding. "I don't know what their problem is. Are you okay?"
Naota stared back into the face of the person that stuck up for him. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Long black hair, soft facial features… he choked on his words.
"I'm fuh-fuh-fuh fine…" he stuttered.
"I'm Kagome." The girl said with a smile. "You're Naota, right?"
The boy was still at a loss for words. "Y-yeah." He said.
"Um… I heard that you were bumped up in math because you were really good at it?"
Naota nodded.
"Are you any good at Social Studies or Chemistry?"
Naota nodded yet again.
"Really? Could you help me study for them? I have tests on both subjects in a few days…"
Naota beamed. "I'd…be happy to!" he said with a smile."
"You would? That's great! I'll call you sometime! Should we go to your house or mine?"
The boy flinched. "My house is… no good…" he said, timidly. "Maybe we should… go to your house instead."
"Oh? I see. Sure, I guess…"
"Why can't I go over there, I wonder…?" Pondered Kagome.
"When are you free?" asked Naota.
"Well… I'm kinda gone a lot of the time, but I should be home for the next few days. Call me sometime then, okay?"
"Sure…" said Naota. "I'll call you after I finish track practice…"
"Alright, then!" Kagome gave the boy a smile. "I'll talk to you later!"
She turned around as if to walk away, but then she whirled back to face Naota.
"Oh, one more thing:" She whispered in Naota's ear.
"My grandpa's a little weird, so if he tells you I have some awful disease, don't listen to him!"
This struck Naota as a little strange, but he nodded.
"Then I'll see you later!" said Kagome. And she waved goodbye, and began to run home…
…But something wasn't right. She could feel it, the aura of a shard of the Shikon No Tama… She whirled back to see Naota hopping off with his duffel bag to get changed for track, he looked happy, with a kind of innocence she couldn't describe.
"No way…" she told herself. "That sweet kid? No way." She shrugged it off, and went home.
****
Naota couldn't wait to get home for the first time in his life. He didn't care about Track as much as he used to. He had a new goal:
He would make Kagome his. And stop anyone who got in the way.
Author's Notes: If there are any hardcore math fanatics out there, who are looking at the part at the beginning and saying "Hey! This doesn't make any sense!" Then THAT'S THE POINT. I know full well most of those problems I made up are either mathematically impossible or just weird. Can't think of anything else to say.
-Recca
