Inu-Yasha: Alternate Universe - 1. Babu's Invention

By: Reiko Aya [KitsuneMaya@koreanmail.com] and Chuuko Nezu [ReiTanteiYusuke@aol.com]

Official Webpage: http://inu-alternate-universe.tk

Disclaimer: Inuyasha © Copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Shonen Sunday magazine.

"Hikari, look at what I have," Kakono Yuurei whispered to Kazeni Hikari.

"It's one of those cellphone things. You told me you had one already," Hikari said while walking to class.

"It is not an ordinary phone...I will explaine it when we get in the class room. I will meet you there," Yuurei said cheerfully, then ran ahead of Hikari.

"You don't have to run! We are really early!!!" Hikari yelled out to Yuurei.

At class, Yuurei went straight over to Hikari's desk to show her what was so special about her cellphone.

"So what did you want to show me?" asked Hikari eagerly.

"This phone is really a Time Machine. It just looks like a phone," Yuurei whispered.

"Where'd you get it? I would like one." Hikari loved the thought of traveling through time, ridiculous as it was.

"Uhh...Well I didn't buy it anywhere. I got it from my uncle Babu..." Yuurei said nervously.

"He actually gave it to you? Gee, if I were him I'd keep it myself," Hikari muttered.

"Well he didn't exactly give it to me...I stole it from him. Do not tell anyone about this, okay?" Yuurei whispered to Hikari.

"Oh, ok, I see now...So how does this time machine thing of yours work...? I mean, you do know how to use it, right...? 'Cuz if you don't then I'd have to say there was no reason to steal because you can't ask anyone since you stole it and all-" Hikari's fast speech got interrutpted by Yuurei.

"You may stop now," Yuurei said.

"Oh sorry...so when are you going to use it?" asked Hikari.

"Oh, I was thinking maybe later today...like after school, but I want someone to come with me...I'm not sure I want to go the first time by myself, but who should I bring...? Well, no one in my family," Yuurei thought carefully.

"I could come!!!" Hikari volunteered cheerfully.

"But I do not know many people so it's a little hard to think of who to bring..." Yuurei continued.

"Hello, I could!!!" yelled out Hikari to Yuurei.

"Oh...Yes, you can come with me then," Yuurei said.

After school, Hikari went with Yuurei to her large house, going straight to her room so that no one would know about their trip. Yuurei noticed that her twin sister, Ako, was gone. Probably either with her all-girl band, riding her motorcycle, or on a date with one of her many boyfriends.

"So, I think we have to click in the year we want to go to...What year would you like to visit?" asked Yuurei.

"Um...how about...1297? you know, Feudal Japan," suggested Hikari.

"Okay, let us try it..." She punched in the numbers 1-2-9-7 and pressed the 'Send' button. "I hope it works," Yuurei said hopefully.

Immediately a dark portal appeared and the two felt themselves fall into it. It was complete darkness. After a while, they stopped short, still in that dark void.

Hikari slowly opened her eyes, which were closed during the fall, "So...is this how Feudal Japan was like?" she looked around, seeing only darkness. She managed to also see the faint outline of Yuurei.

"I think..." Yuurei began, "We might be in the fifth dimension or something..."

"Are we stuck?" Hikari asked flatly.

Yuurei looked around nervously, "I hope not..." She paused to examine the device, "Good. This device is still in tackt...Huh?" Yuurei looked up as she felt that odd falling feeling again.

Yuurei and Hikari both cried out as they fell onto a grassy area next to a dirt road.

"So...?" Hikari muttered, slowly getting up and checking to see if hse had broken anything.

Yuurei exhaled heavily, "I cannot believe..." She too got up. "...that Babu-ojisan's invention worked. Time travel is impossible. It is impossible to seperate time and space. It would create an Urashima-like timeslip...I thought he was kidding!" But then how DID they othe get there?

Hikari nodded. "Yeah, because at first I thought you were lying." She laughed a little, "I mean, a time machine? That sounds like something from a movie or story."

Yuurei nodded and looked around. "Oh! A village!" She smiled and gestured toward the small community.

Hikari looked up excitedly, "A village? You mean with people and stuff?"

Yuurei picked up her backpack that she had dropped on the floor and put it on, "Let's go then."

"Yuurei..." Hikari muttered, "First maybe we should check the time-phone thing."

"Oh, right." Yuurei checked her hand, only to find that she wasn't holding it, "Maybe I put it in my bag..." She checked there. "No...what if we dropped it?" She looked around where they had landed.

"Oh God..." Hikari muttered, "It's not here...How are we supposed to go home?!"

"Found it!" Yuurei cheered, picking it up from a tuft of grass, "Oh..." It was all broken up, probably because it had been crushed when they had arrived.

Hikari looked over her shoulder at the wrecked thing, "How in hell are we going to get home?!" she cried, "Hm..." she calmed down and looked over at the village, "Maybe someone there knows a way."

"It's worth a try...I suppose," Yuurei said quietly, "I don't have any other ideas..." She paused, feelign some sort of evil spirit nearby, "Hikari...maybe we shouldn't go...I have an odd feeling about this place..." She looked around, "I felt a mind of evil."

Hikari ignored her warning. "You and your evil talk. There's nothing here but some nice people who might be able to help us go home." As soon as she said that, a roar was heard and Yuurei immediately grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled her into a bush.

"Let's stay here until this is over," she whispered.

After what sounded like a fight, they both slowly peeked out. Nothing was there. All the houses had been destroyed, along with a few trees.

"What could have done this...?" Yuurei wondered quietly, going with Hikari to examine everything. She accidently tripped over a tree branch. "Un..." she muttered as her hand went to her arm.

"What is it?" Hikari looked over and helped her up, "Wow, it's the end of everything. You never fall down."

"Hikari, I think something went in my arm. It looks like a piece of glass." She examined her arm. She didn;t feel like she had glass in her. She actually felt better than before. And besides, what would glass be doing here?

Hikari shrugged, "Maybe. I don't see where glass could have come from." She looked aroudn at the ruined town, "Hello?" she called, "Is anyone there?" She looked around, "Looks as if the whole village died trying to defeat that...something." She spotted what looked like part of the demon's head.

"Something like that?" Yuurei noticed what Hikari was looking at.

Hikari stomped on it angrily. "Stupid thing! You killed all the people!"

"Hikari...at least we were safe," Yuurei said quietly, "Now perhaps there is another vilalge we can find help in...Not to mention food and other neccesities, but-" She was cut short as if she had just realized something. "That shard...I heard someone in the village say something about a shard of the...Shikon no Tama...I wonder if that's what went into my arm...?"

"You don't really think...I mean, that Shikon no Tama sounds like something very important. WOuld that mean you're in trouble?" Hikari smiled nervously.

"I'm sure it would..." Yuurei began walking away, and Hikari began following. She turned around, "Hikari, do not follow. I want to be alone until this shard is away from me. Until then, you and I ahave to split paths. We'll meet again, I'm sure...but first I can't put us both in trouble. I'll find someone who'll get rid of it and then I'll meet up with you."

Hikari hesitated speaking. Her plan made sense, but was it really the right thing to do? Probably. "Fine then. I'll be going that way." She pointed in the opposite direction of where Yuurei was going, "And I'll proabably be in the first community you'll find. But just to make sure you come back..." Hikari swiped Babu's time machine from Yuurei's hands. "I'll keep this with me." She smiled and tucked it away into her own backpack, "Good luck Yuu," she said before they both headed off in opposite directions, "Well I guess I'll just look for another villaige since there's nothing else to do..."

Should she be worried about Yuurei? No, why should she be? Yuurei knew all about the supernatrual, including how to handle the different mythological spirits and stuff. Also, that Shikon no Tama should make her awareness stronger than before. Maybe she should be worried about herself! She couldn't sense anything, and she didn't have that jewel to help her at that! Hm...maybe she should meet some people who are really strong so that she didn't have to go around this crazy place alone! But where to find people like that...

* * * *

"Tadima!" Miraino Ako called as she stepped into the house. She threw her worn out messenger bag onto the nearest couch and then slumped over on it. Funny...usually Yuurei came down to greet her...

"Yuurei?" she called, recieving no answer.

She started going up the stairs to her room. The door was shut.

She pounded on it with her fist. "You there?" Ako asked gently in her high voice, one of the things she hated about herself. It made her sound genki, when she was definitely more hardass than happy-go-lucky.

At least the door wasn't locked. Ako twisted the doorknob, then pushed the door open. No one there. That's odd. Could she be out? Of course. She thumped herself on the head and began to walk out...and then noticed something. On the floor, there was what looked like a burn mark. Had a fire started? Was it in the room under Yuurei's, and had the smoke traveled through the ceiling to her floor? Had she gone fro help...or was she down there trying to put it out?

She didn't smell smoke though. So...where had the burn come from? This was just too freaky. She began walking out again, going to check some of Yuurei's frequently visited places. She and her twin, though only having just finding out they were related, were very close and cared a lot about each other.

Stepping outside, she lit a cigarette and took a drag from it, starting a walk to the first place she could think of: Higurashi Shrine.