^**&&^%$##$%*&&**^

"I can't believe it worked! I hope we see Inu-Yasha!" Deidra skipped around and around the well in excitement. Jessie shook her head, "basket case… Ouch!" Deidra hit her on the back of the head. "Am not!"

"I am now sheesh!" Jessie massaged her head then, leaned back against the well. "Deidra and Jessie don't sound… Catchy."

"Huh? Wha'dya mean?"

"Well we're in Japan in ancient times. We need real names," Deidra slowly nodded.

"Ellie! Keroki, you're awake!" Miroku tumbled over to them. Jessie clapped her hands over her mouth to silence her urge to scream. Deidra glanced at her, then back at Miroku. "Uh, who's who?" Confusion spread over Miroku's face. "He pointed at Deidra, "Keroki's memory is gone, Inu-Yasha…"

Inu-Yasha stepped over to Keroki and held up a fist, smacking her over the head. She jumped back up and slapped him. "Freak!"

"Nevermind… She hasn't." Miroku said, sitting next to Jessie. It took a few seconds for her to realize it was 'Inu-Yasha', but when she did, she crawled to him, bowing. "I'm so sorry. So sorry!" Jessie giggled at her, then felt something set on her leg. She sighed shortly, looking to her left at Miroku. "Can I help you?"

Yes, actually, you could." He squeezed. Jessie stood up, quickly, and him in the side. "Gigantic pervert! Ugh!"

"So, let me get this strait. You're like Kagome…" Inu-Yasha began, slowly, "You're from the future. And found the well and ended up here…Well, from what you've told me, I thought America is far away from Japan so, how'd you end up here?"

"Simple," Deidra answered, gleefully, taking every advantage she could to tell Inu-Yasha about herself. "We came to Japan to visit. Thierry, on eof our other friends, let us stay at his dad's cabin, which was built after Kagome's city was torn down. But they never got rid of the well and it ended up in his backyard."

"How do you know us? You seem as you do anyway."

"You're actually in stories!" Jessie replied. "They've made almost everything with you're names on it." Miroku's face lit up. "Really? Are we popular?" Jessie nodded. "Cool…"

"Now its our turn! How do you know us?"

"Well," Miroku began, " Ellie is the musician, and Keroki is our beast mistress. Kirasha is a gift from Keroki to you, Ellie. You two the best of friends." Deidra and Jessie smiled at eachother. "Of course we are!"

"How did we get into their bodies."

"Well, I know for sure Ellie and Keroki have shikon shards. You must be a missing part of their souls and when you traveled here, you must have rejoined the part of your soul that was missing."

"Oh, by-the-way, where Kagome?" Inu-Yasha looked down along with Miroku, though, he answered, "Naraku killed her." 'Go Naraku!' Deidra though to herself after stuffing her hands in her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry Inu-Yasha…" Jessie answered, making sure she wasn't 'too' sweet. "But move on for cryin' out loud!" shouted Deidra. She turned red as Inu-Yasha looked up at her.

"Wait! You two have my ears!"

"I have cat ears, thank you very much!" Jessie, pouted, her ears lowering slightly. "Of course you do," said Miroku, standing close to her. "Back off, monkey boy!" Jessie elbowed him and he took a couple steps away from her. "But YOU have dog ears." Inu-Yasha said, walking over to Deidra, gazing at her ears. She stuffed her hands in her sleeves and ran over to Jessie. "He so cute, but I'm embarrassed to be around him…"

"You're just shy, it'll pass…" Jessie said, pulling Deidra up the dirt road, leaving the men behind.

()()()()***()()()()

"Where are you two going?" Inu-Yasha asked, eagerly. Deidra spun around, surprised at his tone. "To 'Hollow City'. Why?" Inu-Yasha blushed, "just asking, does everything have to have an answer?"

"Relax, Inu-Yasha… Let me handle it." Miroku whispered to him. Inu-Yasha opened his mouth to object, but Miroku beat him, "may we come along, just for fun?"

"Fun my butt!" Jessie whispered to Deidra. Deidra giggled, but waved them over.

"So, De-dia"

"It's Deidra, actually, Keroki."

"Keroki," Inu-Yasha repeated, "when are you leaving?"

"Hey, Jess… I mean Ellie." Keroki asked turning to her. "Yeah?"

"When are we planning to leave?" Ellie looked up. "Whenever we need to. The guys won't wonder too much about us. Kirasha! Come on." Ellie crouched down to the tired Kirasha, and stuck her arm out. Like before, Kirasha ran up it and sat on her shoulder when she rose.

Miroku watched Ellie, fondly, next to Inu-Yasha's curious face towards Keroki. "Strange things, women…" Inu-Yasha spoke, eyeing Keroki. "I think women are wonderful."

"That's only cause you fall in love with every single one of them!" Miroku hit Inu-Yasha's head with his staff. "Shut-up Inu-Yasha, you're too loud." Inu-Yasha jumped up. "You shut-up you mutt!"

"I'm not the one who sniffs dirt all day!"

"Uh-oh," Ellie said, turning around to them. They, viciously, fought with as many dirty words as they knew. "Hopeless mutt!"

"Perverted monk-ey!" Inu-Yasha laughed to himself. "I won't let you steal Ellie's words!" Miroku charged at Inu-Yasha, Inu-Yasha doing the same.

"Stop!" Yelled Keroki, running in between the two. "You won't stop me!" Inu-Yasha tried to stab Keroki, but she jumped up and lightly landed on his blade. She ran up it and kicked Inu-Yasha in the face many times, jumping hard off the blade high into the air. She looked down at Inu-Yasha, but he was flying backwards through many trees. Keroki led on the ground with a soft thud, staring at the pile of trees Inu-Yasha was under.

"Kirasha! Help Inu-Yasha!" Kirasha jumped off Ellie's shoulder and transformed, galloping ver to Inu-Yasha, digging through the trees. When she found him, she picked him up with her massive jaws, brought him over to the group and, lightly, set him down.

Keroki turned, and began to run away. "Miroku…"Ellie began.

"Yes, I'll go after her-"

"NO! You watch Inu-Yasha; I'll go after her. Kirasha, you too!" Kirasha purred and Miroku nodded, helping Ellie to her feet and watched her disappear into the darkness after Keroki.

"Keroki!" Ellie said, finally catching up to her. She stopped and spun around, her hair sticking to her wet face. "I shouldn't have gotten so carried away!"

"Keroki, you're a beast mistress. You have that agility. You don't know how to control it yet. You haven't yet found out how strong you are!"

"Exactly!" She cried, collapsing to the ground. "I'm too dangerous." Ellie bit her lip. "That's not what I meant." She sat next to her. "You just need training on how to control your powers."

"But on my first day with him, Ellie! My first day and I could have killed him."

"Also your first day in your new body… New blood, new appearance, new knowledge. You seem so scared of it all."

"I am! I want Inu-Yasha to like me… Even if he loves me or not. I wouldn't mind being best friends or whatever, but I don't want him to think I'm an insane dog." Ellie laughed at the thought. "No you're not! You're sweet, friendly… A man's best friend… huh huh?" She elbowed her lightly, causing Keroki to grin.

They returned, happily. Inu-Yasha came up to Keroki. "Wow…" he said, simply, and walked further down the road. Miroku came up between them. "He'll be fine… He just lost a lot of cockiness." Ellie laughed, following Miroku.

Keroki stood there, watching Inu-Yasha walk away. 'Wow… He told me wow… He's not mad at me?' "Come on, Keroki!" Ellie called to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Inu-Yasha, even, stopped and turned around to wait for her. Keroki blushed, walking over to Ellie. 'Even being friends with Inu-Yasha, Would be and honor.'

_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_

After the past two weeks, Ellie had grown, very, close to Miroku. Inu-Yasha found out that he wasn't the only person in the world that wasn't excepted into it, being who he was or pretending to be someone else. Miroku discovered he could find a woman just by looking at that woman, not 15 others. Keroki found herself utterly in love with Inu-Yasha, praying every night they would be together.

_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_

The day they arrived in the city, they earned a couple rooms in an Inn and found some money for food. Ellie bought, with her extra money, a bell anklet for Kirasha, parchment, a quill, and ink. Keroki bought a shape shifting, 9 month-old hawk named Shishiou and found him quite useful.

"I wonder how the guys will react to their gifts," Keroki said, carrying two boxes. One held a shark-tooth necklace, for Inu-Yasha, and another held a bible for Miroku. Ellie felt guilty for not buying them anything so, Keroki put both their names on the guy's cards.

"Hey guys, here you go!" Ellie handed Inu-Yasha his box and Keroki handed Miroku his. They took them and ripped them open. "A bible," Miroku laughed, "good thinking gir-"

"What the heck is this? OWCH!" Inu-Yasha shouted, dropping the necklace and sucking his finger. Keroki laughed, "It's a necklace. A shark-tooth necklace." Inu-Yasha picked up the necklace up off the floor and, carefully, slipped it around his neck. It wouldn't harm it clothing. Ellie walked over the fire, where Kirasha was sitting. She pulled the anklet out from her pocket and slipped it around her neck. "Don't you look adorable?" Kirasha 'mew'ed and curled up into a ball, admiring her present.

"By the way," Miroku asked, looking away from Ellie, "what's the special occasion?"

"It's Christmas in our time. That's part of the reason why where in Japan. On vacation." Ellie answered. "What's Christmas?" Inu-Yasha asked. "A time of celebration of love and family and friends. You give eachother gifts to show how much you care." Keroki laughed at their red faces. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry we didn't get you guys anything." The two girls laughed harder. "It's alright. You do it on free will. Just being with eachother means you care." The two men looked at one another, shocked.

"Well, I suppose we should go to bed now," Keroki said, seeing Ellie rise with Kirasha tucked in her arms. "Okay, goodnight girls." They nodded and walked out the door to their cabin. It was silent in the boy's room. A sad silence. For the rest of the night, they sat by the fire, each deeply thinking, 'I might like this girl.'

Chapter 4:

Puzzle pieces;

Mystery almost over!