A/N: Major spoilers for those of you who are not current with the manga. This story takes place after the events of chapter 313 in the manga. Please Review!
This is an R rated fic. It contains strong language, violence, and adult situations. It is not suited for readers under 17 years of age. You have been warned
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu Yasha characters.
Recap:
"Houjo-kun!" Kagome exclaimed as the boy grabbed hold of one of her hands, pulling roughly to drag her from the well. "What are you doing here? Let go!" She demanded as she struggled to maintain her balance with the heavy bag on one shoulder and the determined boy playing tug-of-war with her wrist. She yanked her arm back fiercely, realizing her mistake only when it was too late. The weight of her pack pulled her back and Houjo leaned closer to once again grasp hold of her hand. Suddenly they both tumbled into the depths of the well, the bright shimmering light encasing them as they left Tokyo and slipped into the Sengoku Jidai.
Chapter 2: Stuck in Time
They landed with a thump at the bottom of the well. Pulling himself off the now bruised girl, Houjo reached out a hand helping her to her feet. "Why are you in a well, Kagome-san?" His eyes roamed the rock walls and thick vines of the dry well. His brow furrowed in confusion as he looked up to be pummeled by harsh drops of rain. A black mask of clouds crowded the sky that should not be there.
"Great! Just what I need. Come on, the only way to get you back is to climb out and then go back through again. And just what were you doing at the well house?" Kagome snapped at him. She wanted to see Inu Yasha and talk with him before they once again faced Naraku and his allies.
"Go back? I don't understand. Why is it raining? What happened to the roof of the well house? Just where are we, Kagome-san?" He was now even more confused than ever by her irate attitude.
Pulling herself up by the thick vines, "After we get out of here, I'll explain." Her mind fumed, 'Damn! I wonder if he is dense enough to think this is all a dream?'
Following behind her, Houjo climbed up the vines and over the lip of the well to land in wet grass slicked with mud and a stinging rain pelting him. He stood to his full height, taking in the strange surroundings of the dense forest and the stranger still boy who stood inches from Kagome. The two faced each other, rain soaking their clothes, plastering them to their bodies. Houjo's eyes widened as he noticed a pair of triangular ears atop the boys head. They flickered wildly in the rain. Suddenly Kagome threw herself into the boy's embrace, burying her face into the wet folds of his strange kimono. "Higurashi, who's that and where are we?" He demanded, feeling slightly dizzy from his deepening confusion.
Kagome held onto Inu Yasha, never hearing Houjo's questioning voice. She turned her face into his haori, inhaling the scent of him. He smelled of the forest, tree sap, and rainwater. As her own tears blended and were washed away by those of the angry skies, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her closer to him. She could feel the thundering of his heart through his over coat and the slight tensing of his muscles as he held her. Inu Yasha lowered his head, resting his cheek on her wet hair.
Kagome let her actions say what her voice, suddenly stuck in her throat, could not. So engrossed in her feelings, the miko had forgotten about her unexpected guest. A loud rumble followed by a deafening crack of thunder sounded from behind her. The crack of thunder and flash of lightening streaked across the darkened sky to land near the small group. Wood chips flew into the air as the wooden sides of the well splintered and cracked. The two humans and one inu hanyou turned to see another crack of lightening hit, and the Bone-Eater's Well caved in on itself. That was when Inu Yasha noticed the strange boy for the first time.
"Who the hell are you?" Inu Yasha growled, his ears pricked back in a threatening manner. Still holding the wet girl in his arms, his liquid gold eyes glared at the stranger.
"Oh, Houjo-kun!" Kagome turned to the boy from her time, "without the well, you can't go home. I'm sorry, you'll have to wait until it's fixed." She turned her gaze back to Inu Yasha as she stepped out of his embrace. "He grabbed me when I was going down the ladder. I lost my balance and we fell in." Her voice shivered from the chilling rain and her damp clothes as she rushed to explain.
"So, this is Houbo?" Inu Yasha snorted. "Your cold, and the others are worried about you. You can explain Houbo later."
"Uh, that's Houjo." The confused boy said trying to keep up with a now running hanyou carrying a drenched Higurashi Kagome on his back.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The storm raged through the night as the group huddled near the small fire in Kaede's hut. Once Kagome was safely out of the rain and in the care of her friends, he gave a final glare to Houjo and took off into the rain. Kagome's heart sank deeper inside her. If only Houjo had not followed her, she might still be in Inu Yasha's arms. She desperately needed to talk with him, to explain her absence and for once be completely honest with him. No matter his choice, she would stay till the end because that was the depth of her love for him. 'As long as he is truly happy that's all that matters.' A deep pain clenched her heart as her mind spoke the words she had said so many times before.
"Kagome!" An orange streak of fur came rushing toward her causing the future girl to lose her balance as the tiny kitsune child crashed into her. "Who's that?" Shippou asked curiously, as he watched the odd looking boy behind reach out reflexively to help her gain her balance. He peeked his head over the top of the girl's shoulder as he sniffed at the boy.
Looking behind her, Kagome felt almost sorry for her school friend. His eyes were as large as saucers as his fearful gaze focused on the creature held tenderly in Kagome's arms. "This is Houjo, he sort of fell into the well when I was leaving. He's from my time."
All eyes turned to better see the boy. Houjo gulped audibly at the bizarre looking bunch. He had never seen people – or creatures- such as these. Their form of dress seemed almost archaic. With furrowed brow, Houjo's gaze scanned the onlookers. A man dress in deepest blue and black robes, an old woman wearing bright red hakamas and a white gi, a young woman who could not be more than a year or two older than himself dressed in an old fashioned yukata with what looked to be a tiny yellow kitten curled in her lap, and finally the furry animal like creature met his gaze.
"What is that thing? Is it an animal? How can it talk? And why are you all dressed like that?" The questions came in a rush as his confusion turned to fear. 'Did I hit my head when I fell? That must be it.' Houjo's mind tried to rationalize the situation.
"First we must get the two of you dry. Kagome, you may use the back room to change." She smiled widely at the miko as the girl grabbed her large pack and left the room. Turning to the frightened boy Kaede held out a blanket. "I have no spare robes. Sit by the fire and it will dry your," her single eye roamed Houjo's pressed trousers and button up shirt, "clothing." She finished. 'Do all those of Kagome's era wear such strange clothing?' The old miko had barely gotten used to the short skirts that her protégé wore. She did not know how to react to Houjo's tight hakamas and high-necked gi.
Moments later Kagome appeared in a dry school uniform. Her damp hair had been brushed and put in a high ponytail. As she sat down by the fire with the rest of the group she remembered the well. "Uhm…there's something else I forgot to tell you. The well was struck by lightening, twice actually, and it collapsed. I'm afraid until it's fixed…that is, if it can be fixed…we are stuck here for a while."
"You mean you can't go back home, Kagome?" Shippou tried to sound sad for his adopted mother, but he could not keep the glee out of his childish voice.
Kagome laughed at his failed attempt to comfort her. "Looks like it, Shippou-chan. Now I can make sure Inu Yasha is nice to you." Her smile suddenly faded. Once again Kagome felt a dull ache in her heart. 'Why did he leave like that?' she wondered.
"Higurashi?" Houjo's voice pulled the young miko from her thoughts.
Sighing, she turned to him, "I guess I should start explaining things, huh?" Taking slow breath, Kagome began her tale. "Well, it's like this, I have never really been sick. I've been here, in the Sengoku Jidai trying to find the pieces of the Shikon no Tama that I broke and help destroy this really evil half demon named Naraku. And the whole reason I'm here is because I am the reincarnation of this dead miko, well, she's supposed to be dead, Kikyou who was the jewel's protector. But Naraku tricked her and Inu Yasha, the guy who brought me here with you –he's half demon too, into betraying or thinking they betrayed each other to taint the jewel. That's when Kikyou died and had the Shikon no Tama burned with her body. Then I was born, and the jewel somehow got inside me. I didn't know until I was in the well house looking for our cat one day and this giant centipede youkai came out of the well and pulled me in. The well is a time portal. I ended up shattering the jewel, and my family has been covering for my absences with illnesses so I can be here and fix what I did." She inhaled deeply at the end of her longwinded explanation.
Houjo blinked owlishly. He had barely comprehended her rushed words. The one thing he did understand was that she had never been sick, that the dog-eared guy and apparently this little orange fur ball, as well as others he did not know were demons. He also understood that this was not Tokyo, but nearly 500 years in the past, before Tokyo, before even his or Kagome's births. Five hundred years in the warring states period, a time of sickness, fighting, and danger.
"You mean, we're in the past?"
Kagome held back the urge to smack herself in the forehead. This was a lot for the dimwitted boy to take in. Hell, it had been a lot for her to take in at first. If it had not been for Kaede and Inu Yasha, she would have never survived her times in feudal Japan. Instead she just nodded.
"Who are these people? And what is that?" Houjo pointed a finger at Shippou who was now sitting attentively in her lap.
"Well, this is Shippou," She gave the kitsune a gentle squeeze, "He's a fox youkai. His parents were killed because of the Shikon no kakera. And that is," raising her hand she began pointing her finger, "Kaede-bachan, the village priestess and my mentor. Miroku a traveling monk and Sango is a taijiya, and the neko is Kirara, Sango's partner who helps us battle demons."
It did not seem possible for the future boy's eyes to get any rounder, "Y-you fight youkai, Kagome-san?"
"Hai! We all are a team, working together." She said simply.
"And I'm stuck here, in time, with monsters and war." It was more a statement than a question.
"Kagome-sama, perhaps you should give him time to think about all this." Miroku watched the schoolboy with concern. His face had gone quite pale and his hands shook slightly.
"That would be best, Kagome." Kaede added as she began stirring a thick liquid in the pot over the fire.
Houjo sat in silence, his mind trying to come to grips with his current situation, but still he could not shake the fear that he was stuck in a time where demons were real and wars raged.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inu Yasha sat high on a branch in the Goshinboku, the harsh rain only a light fall as it filtered through the thick canopy of the tree. He had been so happy when he had picked up Kagome's scent that he never smelled the boy who was with her. Though she had explained Houjo's appearance being an accident, it had still put a damper on his good mood. 'Why did that moron have to show up!' he sulked. He glanced back at the now destroyed well, 'I hope it can be fixed. Not that I mind keeping Kagome trapped here for a while, but that Hobo bastard's got to go!'
Once again lightening flashed, its white light revealing a brief glimpse of the severity of the well's damage. Inu Yasha cringed thinking about the length of time it would take to dig out all the debris and repair the structure. Subconsciously his eyes squinted in a glare as he thought of the boy hanging around Kagome in this time. They had a battle to return to, Naraku was too close to gaining access to the last jewel shard. They had no time to repair the sacred well or cater to an ignorant boy who was foolish enough to fall into time. His glare turned into a slow smile as Inu Yasha imagined a youkai eating the scrawny youth. He knew of the boy's obsession with his Kagome. Having him there, where he would be totally dependent on her, was not a pleasant thought. And he knew Kagome would "sit" him a hundred times over if he tried to harm the boy. 'It would serve the baka right if he got eaten by a demon! Well, maybe not eaten, but maimed a bit would be good!' With that thought he jumped gracefully to the muddy ground and headed back to Kaede's hut. He did not trust leaving the boy alone with Kagome any longer than he had to. 'Well, not alone, the others are there, but still…'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So you say lightening damaged the well?" Kaede asked, turning concerned eyes to the frightened boy sitting by the fire.
"More than damaged, Kaede-bachan." Kagome wrapped the blanket Sango had given her tighter around her, encasing the kitsune child in her lap with its warmth. "The whole well caved in. It was struck twice."
"Twice?" The houshi's quizzical voice broke in. "Odd, lightening rarely strikes twice in the same place."
"This storms not natural, and neither was that lightening." All eyes turned as the hanyou walked into the hut. His damp hair hung low to his waist, his bangs plastered to his forehead covering his eyes.
"Not natural?" Kagome and Sango questioned in unison.
Inu Yasha sat down by the fire facing Kagome. With his eyes hidden, Kagome could not see him glaring at the silent Houjo. The boy was quite pale, his eyes round with fear as he listened to the others speak. With his keen eyesight, the hanyou noticed the boy's hands tremble slightly as they clutched the blanket wrapped around him. 'Feh! Weak human!' It was obvious to the dog demon that the boy was in slight shock. Feeling eyes on him, he turned to see Kagome staring intently at him. Cocking an eyebrow as he spoke softly, "What is it, Kagome?" A frown crossed his features as he noticed the deep sadness in the young miko's gaze. His heart sank. 'Why is she looking at me like that? Did I make her sad?'
Kagome turned away ignoring his question, now was not the time to get into a heart to heart with Inu Yasha. She needed to be alone with him to explain what she was thinking and feeling. When she turned back to face him, his eyes were still focused on her. "Why don't you think this storm is normal?"
"It doesn't feel right." The hanyou replied shortly.
"There is a dark presence to this storm, Kagome. Do you and the houshi not feel it?" Kaede began filling bowls with the thick rabbit stew she had been stirring. "Eat, boy, it will give you strength." She held out a steaming bowl to Houjo, her concern for him evident.
"You do need to eat, Houjo-kun. I know this has been quite a shock, falling through time and meeting real demons and all, but everything will be okay." Kagome reached out to her school friend, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Houjo looked up at her, a small smile curving his lips. "Be nice, Inu Yasha!" Kagome barked at the half demon when she heard his low growl. The inu youkai only snorted and turned away.
Houjo flinched at the growling coming from the hanyou. He accepted the bowl of food, keeping his head lowered. His mind's eye flashed back to the image of Kagome being held in the half demon's arms. 'Are they seeing each other? Surely Kagome-san could not be involved with a youkai, half or not.' His heart pained at this thought. He knew deep inside that Kagome had been avoiding him in their time. At first he thought is was due to her illnesses. Now that he knew the truth, he could not shake the feeling that there was something else, something more that he had been missing in his crush's actions toward him.
"Hai, Kaede-sama, I do feel an ominous presence in this storm." The houshi fiddled with his staff, the rings jingling softly as he shifted and reshifted it against his shoulder.
"Do you think it's Naraku's doing? Why would he target the well if we are the only ones who know about its magic?" Sango sat next to Miroku, Kirara sleeping in a tight ball in her lap.
"I don't know. But no, I do not think this is Naraku's doing. Not directly anyways. Perhaps Abi-hime is behind it, or her mother." Miroku's words held much doubt as he tried to seek the answers to this current puzzle.
"Abi doesn't have that kind of power or her mother." The hanyou retorted. "We don't have to worry about this now!" He snapped. "Naraku is closing in on the last shard, and here we sit worrying about some baka storm and a destroyed well." He nearly regretted his words when he heard Kagome's sharp intake of breath. He knew how much her own time meant to her. For reasons the inu hanyou could not understand, Kagome valued her tests. For reasons he could understand, she also valued her family back in the modern world.
"Inu Yasha's right. We don't have time to waste here in the village. Inu Yasha is healed, and every second we stay here is a second's advantage Naraku has on us." Kagome cast sorrowful eyes to the floor, her bangs hanging low over her eyes concealing the hurt and pain she felt.
"I will have the village men work on the repairing the well while you are gone, Kagome." Kaede reassured the girl. "Though this is a youkai storm of some sort, I can protect the villagers while you are gone. You must defeat Naraku before he gets the last Shikon no Kakera. If he gains the full power of the jewel…" She let her words fade off, knowing that the group of warriors understood.
"What about him?" Inu Yasha jerked his head toward the still silent Houjo, his long white hair swishing softly with his actions.
"I cannot keep an eye on him, he must go with you." Everyone looked with surprise at the aged miko's curt words. "He knows me not, and thus does not trust me or the villagers. I think it best that he go with Kagome. When you return, the sacred well will be repaired and he can return to his own time."
"Nani?!" Inu Yasha growled, his eyes narrowing with a deadly glare at the now cowering Houjo. "How the fuck, baaba, are we supposed to fight with this weakling hanging around?" He jerked a clawed thumb at said boy.
"You are more than capable of keeping Kagome's friend safe, Inu Yasha. I know that you will protect him. It is best that knows what this time is like."
"Why?" The hanyou demanded.
"Because if the well is damaged, it may not work again. Kagome and Houjo may be trapped here."
"It's true, Inu Yasha. We both know the lightening completely destroyed the Bone-Eater's Well. It may not work anymore." Kagome looked away, hiding her sorrow from her friends.
"Don't worry, Kagome-chan, the villagers will fix it and it will be good as new." Sango tried to cheer up her friend.
"Thank you, Sango-chan, but we don't know that for sure." Kagome faked a yawn, she no longer wanted to talk about the possibility of the portal never working again. In truth, she did not mind the idea of staying there in the Sengoku Jidai, as long as she could see her family whenever she wanted to. ' With great sadness she dug through her yellow backpack. Unrolling her sleeping bag, Kagome lay down and closed her eyes. She knew she would not fall asleep for many hours, but at least she would have time to think of what to do about both the well and Houjo.
"We leave in the morning." Inu Yasha told the others. He knew Kagome wasn't tired. He listened to her uneven breathing and her smelled her inner turmoil. 'I have to talk to her alone, without the others or that runt Hobo around.'
"Do you plan to leave even in this weather, Inu Yasha?" The houshi asked as he stretched out on his own futon. His violet eyes glowed like sapphires in the firelight.
"We can't let Naraku get the advantage, Miroku. Besides, we won't find out what's causing this storm sitting around here." The houshi only nodded at the hanyou's words.
"Tomorrow then. Goodnight." Sango too lay out her futon, Kirara curling at her mistress's side.
"Inu Yasha?" The hanyou turned toward the fox demon sitting next to Kagome. "Do you think Kagome will be able to go back home?"
"Shut up, brat and get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead." Shippou took a fleeting glance at the boy who now too lay on a futon provided by Kaede, then closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Houjo lay listening to the soft breathing of the others. His restless mind held off sleep as the words Kagome had said repeated themselves in his head. 'What if the well doesn't work? How will I get back home?' He could not fathom Kagome having a double life, the one at school in modern day Tokyo where she was a normal –well, normal if you considered her constant supposed illnesses- ninth grade student and the one here in the past where she was a miko in training and fighting demons. The girl he so adored for her beauty, intelligence, and kindness had been lying to him and everyone else for that matter. Houjo understood her reasons. Who would believe that she traveled time and fought youkai? The girl would have been committed to an institution long ago for saying such things. Yet he knew it to be true, because now he was mixed up her double life. As sleep finally claimed him, Houjo could not ignore the knot of fear and foreboding that welled up inside him.
A/N: Another Chapter complete…I know this one was a little boring, but the next one will be much better, promise! As always, please REVIEW!!!! I would love to hear your comments and it does help me put out the next chapters faster, though this one took a while! I rewrote it like half a dozen times because I was not happy with it…it did not want to come out the way it was in my head! But now I am back on track and next chapter will be posted next week! As always, if you have any questions, just e-mail me, my address is on my BIO page! Ja!