Twisted Well

An Inu-Yasha / Sorcerer Hunters fan fiction by Iapetus

Disclaimer:  I don't own either of these series.  I never will, but I did invent the characters Maye, Cranberry, and Basil.  The story idea is also mine, for I have not seen ANY other crossover like this.  (I do try to be original. ;-p)

A.N.  Waku-chan, they WILL meet up, I promise you.  But, if I rushed it, my storyline will be in shambles.  This is going to be a long story, so they'll have plenty of time to interact.  Just be patient…

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Chapter 4:  City of Gold

            Carrot woke up from his afternoon nap to see Mille smiling down at him.  His face was about a foot from his own.  Wide-eyed with horror, he bolted up and backed himself against a tree.

            "Mille, stop doing that!" he shouted.

            "DARLING!" Chocolat replied in return, "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?"  She looked like she was ready to go dominatrix.

            "Chocolat, HE'S a guy!  I'm not like that!"  Now, the shorthaired man had to run from someone else.  Tira was mad at the both of them, trying to get them to stop.  Marron wasn't there, he said he was going to try reading the cards.  With everyone occupied, it gave Mille the opportunity he wanted.

            The Haz Knight walked over to Gateau and stood beside him.  The man was laughing his head off at Carrot's wild running.  I can wait, thought Mille.  He calmed down a little after a minute, but still looking at the three.

            "We're going to join up with Éclair and her teacher tomorrow, Gateau."

            "Huh?" Gateau stopped laughing completely.  "I thought she had a different mission."

            "You're gong to be included on hers.  The situation is growing steadily worse, and Momma doesn't believe that two people are adequate to handle the problem."

            He laughed again.  "My sister is one of those people.  She could handle whatever they throw at her."  Well, his pride for her still hadn't diminished.  If what Cranberry says is right, he is going to be shocked next time he sees her.

            "Yes, I know.  My friend is her teacher, and he says she's made incredible progress.  He said she soaks up information like a sponge, and retains it all.

            "Momma originally said she could join her mission after she finished this one, but she has changed her mind.  We are to meet them at their camp.  It is about three miles from here."

            "That's great.  I was with my sister one week before going on reassignment," Gateau sighed.  "I had never really protested constant assignments, since I was on a mission before.  Now, I want to spend time with her."

            "Big Momma reminded you of your deal when we found her, and yet you still picked this.  You had the opportunity to live a peaceful life, and yet you turned her down."

            "I know, but what does Éclair and I have to go back to?" he questioned.  "Our house was burned down in the attack.  Either way, this is more fun.  I can get in fights, and improve my strength.  I wouldn't get that kind of training on living in a house." He smiled.  "I'd die of cabin fever.

            "Either way, don't you want to talk to Marron about this?  He's better at breaking news to a group than I am."

            "He's still reading the cards.  It takes a lot of skill and concentration.  If I broke it, a puzzle he could've been solving would be shattered.  All his work would be for nothing." Mille looked off in the distance, in the direction Marron left.  "The cards were able to predict when Zacher returned to hunt Carrot down.  I wonder what this session will tell us."

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            Maye woke up in a soft bed.  Mom is going to come in any minute now.  I need to get started on the garden.  The sun streamed through the large window.  Sleepily, she gazed out into the world.  Wait a second… her room was by the roses, not a swamp.  Startled, she shot up in the bed and looked around.  Sadly, Maye remembered about her family, and her mission.  There were questions that needed to be answered, and she had no clue where to begin.

            How in the heck did I get in here? She thought.  I remember coming up on the landing, and then falling asleep… Looking out the window more carefully, she realized that it was late morning.

            Oh crap.  There is NO way I'm going to make it across the rest of the swamp unless I leave now.  As she donned her spare change of clothes, she realized that both had been cleaned.  _ She _ was clean too.  Someone had taken care of her last night.

            Well, if they could get through Saint Mama's magic barrier, they couldn't be bad.  It was a little bit of consolidation, but the feeling that some stranger bathed her was disconcerting.

            I can't think about this now.  I need to get going.  Putting her other clothes in her bag, she checked to make sure her few last possessions were safe.  My dress, and jewelry… in order to appear in the Sanctuary to pray to Saint Mama, people had to look the best they could.  In her case, she had to dress according to her station.  Good.  The cloth protecting it is doing its job.  My knives… yes, there still here.  The three spare throwing blades were still in their sheaths, in the silk, wrapped in the folds of her dress.  She couldn't have the blades rusting.  The, she checked her pocket for the shard.  I'd better put this in with my other things.  It would be dangerous if it fell out of my pocket.

            Looking out the window again, she made a decision.  If I come across demons, my hunting bow won't do anything against them, I'd better use my longbow this time.  Maye had heard about people who could put some of their own power into their arrows.  No matter what bow they shot from, it would be destructive. She had never had such an experience.  I like my longbow better anyways.  Resolute, Maye tied her hunting bow to her bag.  It will be easier to carry.  Securing her bag to her side, and her quiver to her back, she left the bedroom.

            The shrine was a small one, and her eyes were drawn to the holy relic within.  It was a moon, surrounded by five bright stars.  Kneeling before the sculpture, she gave a prayer of thanks to Saint Mama for this Place of Rest, and the stranger who took care of her through the night.  She then prayed for strength to arrive at Dorado safely.  Her duty to the deities done, she left the shrine without looking back.

            The ground seemed harder than usual for a swamp, and it made running easier a hundred fold.  If the ground is this hard the rest of the way, I can get into town by late afternoon.  I can talk to Father Ossowo by this evening.  Not questioning her good fortune, she set off in a slow run.

            Basil watched her leave.  Earlier that morning, he had made sure the path was solid for her to run on.  With her in such a grave mission, I need her to get to her destination as soon as possible.  He still didn't understand why he was so obsessed with protecting her.  I don't even know her name…

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            "Sensei, why did you put me in my bed?" Éclair would never use an angry tone of voice with her teacher, but he could tell anyway.  "I wanted to learn more things before sleeping tonight."

            "Éclair, after you had some water, you fainted," Cranberry stated.  "I wasn't going to leave you on the ground.

            "If you want to have the lesson, you still need supper first.  With all the exercise your body is doing, it needs more food than the average person."  He saw her hesitate.  "Sit DOWN."

            Slowly, she took her seat where Mille was resting only five minutes ago.  As Cranberry dished out stew into her bowl, he decided to inquire about the topic at hand.  Hmm, déjà vu.

            "What would you think if you found out your brother and his friends would be joining our mission?"

            Éclair had been hurriedly spooning stew into her mouth when he asked.  She stopped, swallowed, and thought for a minute.

            "I thought this mission was supposed to be a test for me," she asked, disappointed.  "When I solved this quest, then I could be with him.  Why would he?"

            Cranberry stared down into his meal.  If he didn't say this right, it would be terribly offensive.

            "Momma has been tracking this power source ever since Zacher's death.  New developments caused her to change her plans.

            "When I reported to her that you had made tremendous progress, she deemed you fit to call yourself a Sorcerer Hunter.  At the time, though, she still wanted you to finish this mission before joining with the others.

            "The 'most recent developments' are unnerving, and it is evident that I cannot handle it without aid.  Even Mille Feuille couldn't stop it.  It is going to take a group effort to solve the problem."

            "Why can't you handle it?" She asked with surprise.  "What is playing against your five-star hand?" 

            "No sorcerer can touch this power source.  The 'gift' of my father is that I am heir to the powers he possessed.  HE is the one who chooses who will succeed him.  If I touched the shard with my bare hands, I would become evil, and could never turn back."

            "But you're a Haz Knight!  Aren't you above such things?"  Her concern was a little heartening.  Man, she can really say it the way it is…  He shook his head no.

            "Oh," she ate another spoonful of stew.  "Wait.  What is a shard?"

            "They are the sources of the power we have been sensing.  Apparently, each piece was a part of one stone – called the Shikon Jewel."

            "Shikon?  If it were of four souls, why would a sorcerer want it?  Wouldn't it achieve the opposite of what they intended?"

            "We still don't know.  Mille Feuille came by while you were resting, and told me all about it.  He and the others are going to meet us here tommorow morning." Seeing he done with her stew, he kept up his end of the bargain.  "Ok, come and sit across from me on the ground.  Ok, good.  Now try to relax…"

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            The run had felt good on her sore muscles.  They needed to be stretched, otherwise the cramping would be worse.  Had she not passed out last night, she could have properly cooled-down.  But, missions didn't always allow for that kind of novelty.

            It had been amazing the path was so dry.  All around it, the swamp looked normal.  This must be a wonder of nature, all the high ground being connected like this, Maye pondered.  A clearing could be seen in the gap of trees ahead of her.  Across the clearing was a house by the side of a road.  Her eyes followed the road until it came to an enormous cluster of buildings.  She couldn't find the end of houses and shops.  Towering above them all was the beautiful Silver Star Cathedral.  Running out of the swamp, she fell into the wild flowers of the meadow and laughed.  I finally got here.  I MADE IT!

            After relaxing from her moment of silliness, she picked herself up.  It wasn't that far to the Cathedral, although she did get many strange looks from people as she waked on the road.  Well, I guess I do look weird covered in dirt and sweat, and packing a bow.  Since none of the other hunters had a longbow, she received many glances of suspicion as well.

            The twilight prayer service had just gotten out, and the citizens of Dorado passed by her as she made her way to the side door.  Each of them looked at her as though she were trash.  Making sure that her hat still hid her eyes, and that she had enough hair to cover most of her face structure, she veered away from the judging people.

            What do they think I am – crazy? Maye thought angrily.  Everyone knows that you appear in the Chapel according to one's status.  Even the poorest man will wash his only set of clothes, and bathe in the river before entering the Cathedral.  That was why she was going in the side door.  There was a large loft kept for weary travelers who could not afford to stay in the town's inn.  Maye could have afforded it if she brought the money, but it would have weighed her down.  Not only that, but she wouldn't gain the mystic shield that protected the church.  Either way, there was a hot spring available for the travelers.  Give me one hour to prepare, and I'll look like the lady my mom raised me to be.

            The rough wooden door was opened slightly.  Not wanting to be rude, she politely knocked at the threshold.  Almost immediately, it was opened – to reveal a young apprentice.  He has to be only 13 – Temmy's age.  Temmy was the nickname given by her family to her sister, September.

            "Can I help you?" the boy asked.  Clearly, he didn't want to deal with her.  Maye's appearance was a more burden than she originally thought.  She was ignored when she needed someone to pay attention, and drew attention when she was trying to blend in.

            "I am here to claim Sanctuary.  Because I am not the cleanest, I decided not to go into the Chapel and request it of Father Ossowo himself.  Before I go to him, I need to take a bath.  Could you take me to a private room?"

            "Sorry, but private rooms are reserved only to Lords, Ladies, and Sorcerers," he said with a sneer.  "I will show you to a common room, because it is my duty."

            Determined to prove him wrong, she made visible the necklace she had hidden under her shirt.  It was once her father's, but he gave it to her when he was sick.  At the end of the gold chain was a pendant.  It was a sundial, and on the bottom was an elaborately designed 'J'.  Holding out so the apprentice could examine it, she waited for his verdict.

Instead of instant hospitality, like she had been expecting, his expression turned from disgust to anger.

"How dare you steal the seal of a Lord's house?" Shock was displayed in his eyes.  "How dare you do such a heinous act and cry Sanctuary?  You deserve to go and receive your punishment!"  He went to slam the door, but she caught it with one hand.  Maye's face was contorted with anger, as she fought down the urge to slap the boy across the face.

"How dare YOU accuse a person on such little ground?" a man demanded.  The apprentice spun around, only to face Father Ossowo himself.

"If this person is indeed a criminal, they would only be delaying their punishment.  Either way, in these bad times, we must help all who are needy.

"Due to your unjust judgment, you will have double chores tomorrow.  I will inform Sonnet of this, so don't try to escape it."  His rebuke made the apprentice's head go down in dismay.  "That is all.  Now go help Ballad clean the Chapel."  The order was firm, with no room to debate.  The disgraced apprentice left at almost a run.

Turning back to Maye, the Father smiled.  "I am sorry, my son.  The people of Dorado find it easy to pass on the 'judgment' of God." Here, she smiled weakly.  "I saw you being snubbed as you walk by.  But, may I ask why you are here?"

"Father, I'd rather talk to you after I have had a chance to take a bath and change my clothes." She took her hat off, letting the long thick blonde braid fall from her head.

His eyes widened at his miscalculation.  "I'm sorry, my _ daughter _, I did not know."

She smiled.  "That's because before I left, I bound my chest, and spoke like a boy.  I had to get here as fast as possible, and a woman would have been more easy to notice."

"If your mission is so important, and you have to wait to tell me, could you at least tell me your title?  I'll get you a private room.  You must be a noblewoman."

He isn't the Father in Dorado for nothing, she thought.  "I am Lady Maye of the Juune family: 5th child, 1st daughter of Lord Janus I and Lady Guacamole I, heir to the Juune estate."

"Heir?  I thought your eldest brother Janus II was to succeed your father."

"I can explain everything, but not here." She had noticed footsteps coming to where they stood.  "If you give me an hour to wash up, I promise I will talk to you then."

The father nodded, and called for a different apprentice to show her to her room and the hot spring.  She quickly put the pendant back under her shirt.  It wouldn't be good for people to know a Lady was dressed as a fighter, especially a Juune.  THAT wouldn't die down in Dorado for a long time.  Her mother's legacy would be destroyed, and this fact was something Maye could not handle.

After arriving at her room, she didn't have time to appreciate it.  She had made a promise to Father Ossowo, and it would not be broken.  Spreading the dress out on the bed, she hid the jewelry that went it, all her knives, the shard, and the seal in her bag under a floorboard.  "Déjà vu," she laughed.  The floorboard was under the bed.  Hurrying as quickly as she could, Maye ran down to the women's baths.

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            Marron stared at the cards that lie in front of him.  Searching for the first card to pick, he closed his eyes and concentrated on their problem.

            Demons are roaming without a master.  Where to they come from?  He felt his hand pick up the first card in the second column.  It was a blue wolf.  Wolves were known for blazing their own trails, but always in packs.  Blue wolves always hunted alone.  They are of a different breed, but it still doesn't answer my question.  Feeling no more power for the question, the mage decided to move onto the second one.

            What is the Shikon Jewel?  This time, he picked up two cards.  The first was a dragon, with a bright background.  The dragon represented good fortune, and righteousness.  Secondly was a phoenix.  The dark background could not hide the famine and death in its wake.  The phoenix represented hatred and apathy.

            How are these two extremes a part of the jewel?  A river through a forest; the card of crossroads.  The magic lent no other explanation.

            Why is this happening? An apprehensive card came up.  It was a rose, standing on it's own.  The rose meant that something was trying to seek revenge.  What type of revenge was determined by its color.  White was a friendly joke, yellow was fear, pink was embarrassment… and red was a call for death.  Indeed, the red rose looked back into his face, as if smiling maliciously at his lack of intuition.

            Who is revenge seeking?  Two different forces lead him across the board.  The first was a par of cards.  One was the Coronary Triangle – an enemy.  The second was a daisy – the flower of friendship.  These two cards mean the same person… but how can one be an enemy and a friend at the same time? The third card, at the other side of the setup, he had seen once before.  Two different personalities personified themselves on a monk.  It also had something to do with his brother.

            How is it all connected?  His magical intuition told him that this was the last card.  Taking a deep breath, he picked it up. 

            It was wind.  The whole situation had to do with foreigners.

            Disappointed by the obsceneness of his reading; Marron decided to tell Mile about it.  The mage always got the impression that Mille was more than he seemed.  Something inside him warned him not to find out, but there was no avoiding the inevitable.

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            At the realization that two Shikon shards had disappeared, frenzy came over Mirkou and Inu-Yasha.  Sango and Kagome didn't look that happy either.  So, instead of asking his sister, Sota turned to Shippo.

            "What's going on?" he asked.

            "I have no idea," there was tension in the young demon's voice.  "Mirkou always kept his shards on him.  He isn't a monk just for show."  Shippo sniffed the air, trying to find something.  "And, if Sango and Kagome are upset, it means they didn't sense it either.  Especially Kagome," he looked at his new friend.

            "Kagome told me that she could sense the location of shards, but is it really THAT good?" he wondered.

            "Is she good?" Shippo stared at Sota in disbelief.  "Ha!  When we first met Mirkou, he had three shards on him.  They were hidden beneath his clothes, and she could still count every one of them."

            She never told me _ that _ before, Sota thought.  She did all she could to not talk about it… he then realized how insensitive he had been.  Kagome missed home immensely, and didn't want to think about ancient Japan while she was here.  But it isn't something you can easily dismiss.  She never stops thinking about Inu-Yasha.

            "Is there ANY possible way you could've left it back with our stuff in the village?" Sango asked.

            "No," the monk replied tartly.  "I would _ never _ endanger a town with a shard.  All of mine were kept on me."

            "Then we need to go back and look for it.  Kagome, say your goodbyes now, were going back," Inu-Yasha said quickly.

            She had been surprised when Inu-Yasha was sulking as he came up the well.  Usually, he was extremely mad.  Then, he didn't complain about anything while eating lunch.  The tension over the jewel was something else too, but she couldn't decide what.

            He's letting me say goodbye to family.  Usually, he just drags me back, she thought.  Not wanting to sour him after his good action, she turned to her mother standing in the door.  It looked like she was going to cry again.

            Running up the stairs, she gave her mother a huge hug.  "Don't worry Mother," she whispered, "I'll come back as soon as I can."

            Startlingly, it was her mother that broke her away.  "You need to go now," she said in a loud voice, and looking at her daughter's companions.  "Your friends need you."  In a whisper, she added, " Be careful.  I love you, Kagome."

            "I love you too, Mother."  She ran down the steps, now to her little brother.

            "Sota, take care of Mom and Gramps while I'm gone.  Next time I come back, I promise I'll sit down with you and tell you what's been happening."  He gave a startled nod, and gave her a hug as well.

            "I will.  You know I always do."  Buyo rubbed against their legs.  He was purring.

            "Bye, Buyo!" Kagome smiled, and scratched behind his ears.  Standing up, she gave the last bit of instructions to her family.  "Give Gramps a hug for me, and tell him I'm sorry I missed him."  Kagome turned resolutely towards the well.  "Let's go."

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            Basil had waited until the girl went into the hot springs before he saw Father Ossowo.  Finally, he had learned her name, and why she was so important.  She is the daughter of Lord Janus, one of the most prominent figures under Count Pepper in Citrus Valley.  That revelation explained a lot.

            "Basil, you really do have a bad habit of eavesdropping," the Priest turned to the young man, face serious.  It then broke out into a smile.  "Well, I know you have your reasons," he laughed, "but could you enlighten an old man?  Dorado is famous for it's gossip, and that in itself is easy to distinguish from the truth – but when you don't even know the truth, they are just stories."

            "Old man, you are very perceptive," he said with a smirk.  "Truthfully?  I was following the girl.  She seemed to be on a mission, and I helped her along.  My own mission is impossible at the moment, and I'm going to need her help when she returns home."

            "What's going on in the Citrus Valley?  She wouldn't hint at anything, insisting that she present herself properly when she enters the chapel," the priest looked off towards the springs in respect.  "She isn't in the least bit vain, but full of reverence for Saint Mama.  She remembers her lessons well."

            "I never knew that any of the Juune daughters were such skilled fighters," revealing her identity to Basil just compounded his confusion.  "I thought Lady Guacamole is a firm believer of the notion that women shouldn't fight."

            The priest sighted.  "Yes, it is a mystery, but I guess we will have to wait and see."

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Just so you know…      -Five star is a card game on Spooner, like Euchre and Go-Fish mixed together.

   -Marron's cards are not Tarot Cards, so don't anyone hound me for saying I got something wrong.  Remember, this is a different world, and he is actually a MAGE.

A.N.  What to you think?  I love reviews, so if you have one, don't hesitate to post it.  I'm on a roll, but I have Dress Rehearsals for my school's spring musical on Monday and Tuesday (were doing West Side Story).  So… it may take me awhile to write the next chapter, and the one following it.  Hey, but who knows?  I might be able to sneak in my laptop and work on it there. ;)

Well, until chapter 5 (whenever that will be) – goodbye!