Authoress' Notes: Glad everybody's liking the story. I hope you enjoy this part too, though it's really short…. It was a good cut off point and I wanted to leave the next scene for the next part since it's gonna be much longer. So I hope everybody likes this. I love the first part of it. I laughed while I wrote it!

*Smiles* -T.A.

Part 2

Now that we were on the outside of the well, Kagome was looking around nervously.

" There's nothing here. I can't smell anything." Inuyasha dropped both of our backpacks and tapped the side of his nose.

" Wonderful." Kagome smiled and picked up my backpack, helping me put it on my back.

' Wow this thing feels heavy.'

"…So it's got everything you need in it." Kagome was explaining to me.

" Okay, okay. I got it."

Kagome let go of my backpack and leaned down to pick up hers.

' This thing is way too heavy. I think I'm gonna…' I franticly waved my arms trying to catch my balance, but still wound up on my back, staring up at the sky. " Help." I managed to squeak out '…this is so embarrassing.'

Inuyasha picked me up by the backpack and shook me a couple times. " That pack weighs a ton." He pulled me out of the pack and held my pack on his left and me on his right. He shook us, me and the backpack, testing our weight. After enough shakes to make me regret my breakfast, he announced: " It weighs more than he does. Let's dump some of the junk out."

" It's not junk. They are necessary supplies." Kagome huffed and took the backpack away from him and looked at me. " Souta, are you okay? You look kinda green."

Inuyasha lifted me higher, so he could inspect me better, " She's right kid; you don't look so good. Better get tougher or you ain't gonna make it out here."

" I'm fine." I struggled to get down and prove that I could stand on my own two feet.

Kagome had pulled my sleeping bag out of my pack and was tying it to hers. "Try that." She helped me get the bag back on. " Better?"

" Yeah." I took one slow step and decided that if I kept my weight pitched forward I might be able to survive this.

" KAGOME!!" Squealed a little voice from nearby.

" Shippou!" Kagome caught the little fox in her arms and hugged him tightly. "I've missed you."

I've seen pictures of all the people that Kagome talks about from the past, but it's so much different seeing them in person.

" Are you Souta?" Asked a quiet, calm female voice.

I turned around slow enough so I wouldn't fall over from the weight of the pack and looked at the girl, who was talking to me. Her dark hair was longer than Kagome's and her eyes were kinda gold/brown. She was smiling softly at me: this must be Sango. I thought she had some kind of cat thing with her all the time and a giant boomerang.

The guy next to her must be Miroku, the monk; Kagome's always complaining about him causing trouble. He looks friendly enough, but he's got a ponytail and his ear is pierced '…isn't that supposed to be a modern thing? I wonder if I brought him home and showed him to mom, if she'd let me get my ear pierced'

I looked at Sango again, and bowed, forgetting the pack. I would've fallen flat on my face, but Sango caught me by the arms and held my upright.

" That pack looks very heavy." She slid it off my shoulders and tested its weight, without shaking me I might add. She set it on the ground and continued to kneel in front of me. " Are you alright?"

" Yes, I am. Thank you." I blushed, embarrassed again; I was making a terrible impression on Kagome's friends. " I am Souta. You must be Sango."

She smiled and nodded, before motioning behind her, " This is Miroku."

" Nice to meet you, Souta."

" You too." We bowed to each other.

Kagome hugged Sango happily, " I'm so glad to see you too!" She looked at me and then at Shippou. " Souta; Shippou. Shippou; Souta."

" Nice to meet you." We both smiled, but I was trying to figure out what kind of demon looked like a plushie.

" We should travel to Lady Keade's. She has new information on jewel shard." Miroku announced to everyone.

Right, the jewel shards; they're the reason Kagome keeps coming back through the well. She has to put the jewel back together.

" Souta, come on!" Kagome called to me, from where the group was now standing.

I looked for my pack, to grab it, but I noticed that it wasn't on the ground. In fact, I raced up to Kagome to tell her that I couldn't find it, when I noticed that Sango was carrying it.

" I can carry it." I told her, reaching for it.

She smiled at me, but her eyes were so sad. " I don't mind. I can carry it for a bit."