FOREINGER By: OtakuSailorV
Chapter 19: Hana & Heather, Children of the Flowers
No birds sang during the first morning hours when Yuji & the others were packing up. Jaken had guessed that the birds sensed that the 'Blue' might attack if they made any noise & had ceased singing in cities. Hikari laid against the wall still her body wrapped in the blanket that Rin had tucked in when she had woken up. Her guitar leaned against the wall beside her as she breathed slowly. Every now & then an arm or leg would twitch but she didn't wake until near lunch.
Her eyes opened slowly until they caught the glare of the sun. Groaning she covered her face with the blanket. "No, not again." She muttered as she pulled the blanket away to let her eyes adjust. Her pupils shifted shape several times before they focused on the place around her. She swayed as she rubbed her bleary eyes, stumbling over her backpack with a grunt. "Stupid thing." She groaned as she tried to right herself & tripped again. Rin ran over to the stumbling Hikari who had the blanket still trailing after her. "Rin will assist Hikari-sama to walk." She said taking her by the wrist & steering her around pipes & other things that jutted out from the roof. Sesshoumaru smiled softly at the sight of the older girl allowing herself to be guided by the younger one. It looked very comical actually. It looked like a teenager helping an elderly person down the sidewalk. Hikari yawned & stretched when she was finally released & aloud to walk freely. "Thank you Rin-chan. I'm not too good with walking when I first wake up." Hikari yawned again. "I gotta stop getting up so late though." She reached into her pack & passed out some nutri-grain & energy bars. "Sorry this is all I have for now. I'll have to restock on actual stuff that you can eat." Hikari handed one to Marlene who stared first at the food then up at Hikari. Hikari smiled at her. She pointed to the bar. "Ffffoooooddd. You eat?" Hikari rubbed her stomach. "Yum." She took a bite out of hers as she turned away still smiling. Yuji held down a burst of laughter. Rin didn't get the joke but ate hers anyway. Jaken came out from the stairs with Saisei & Shiro doing loop-the-loops over his head. "I have located the well. It is in the basement of this building." Hikari smiled at him & tossed an energy bar his way. He stared at it for a moment. Hikari did the same thing as she had done to Marlene. "Man you guys act like future food is poison." She said through a mouth full of nutri-grain. Sesshoumaru stared out at the sky. Turning slightly he looked at Hikari who smiled back at him. "They're coming." He said in a cool tone. Hikari nodded & watched the same dot against the sun that he was. "We can get rollin' then." Hikari said through a mouthful of breakfast bar. She turned toward Yuji. "Looks like the rest of our crew is coming. Where are you two headed for?" Yuji cocked his head toward the desert that lay on the other side of the city. "We have to head for the nearest space station. According to Marlene it's through that part of the desert over there." Hikari nodded. "Sorry we can't give you a lift but our way out of here is through that well." Yuji shrugged. "That's Ok. You gave us a big enough lift through that first part of the desert." Hikari smiled at him, then carefully walked over to the door that led to the stairs. Leaning against the door she shut her eyes in thought.
After a while she opened her eyes to see that Kirara & a jumping red dot that seemed to be Inuyasha was almost to the building. "How are these 'Blue' things going to be killed?" Marlene snapped her head in Hikari's direction. "We aren't exactly sure yet. It would be easier if it didn't seem that the 'Blue' were evolving to protect their core from our weapons." Yuji said while he watched the flying cat with rapt attention. "That is not our mission at the moment." Marlene cut in with her commanding tone. "My mission is to bring the 'sleeper' Yuji Kaido to '2nd Earth' at all costs. The extermination of the 'Blue' is not a mission at this point." Hikari was stunned by her military way of speaking. "Oh." Was all she could say.
Yuji's eyes went wide when the group finally landed. His eyes darted everywhere & focused at no more than one thing at a time. His mouth hung open slightly at the sight of the dog-eared man, the huge flaming cat, the giant boomerang, the simple monk, & finally he had to squint to see the tiny speck that was jumping from shoulder to shoulder. A tiny little boy with a tail was sitting on the shoulder of a tall young woman who had long black hair & a sailor fuku on. The other woman that accompanied the group was a tall woman who also had black hair & a giant boomerang slung over her back. A small boy that must have been an adolescent was getting down from the giant cat. "ah, so nice to see you Hikari-chan." Said the monk. Hikari smiled & ran over to them. "Nice to see you too Miroku." Yuji's eyes were ripped away from them when a large flame caught his eye. The giant cat was engulfed in its own flames. He gasped as the others took no notice while the flame got smaller & smaller. When the fire finally disappeared a tiny cat with two tails was walking over toward the teenage boy. "Here Kirara." He said putting a hand down for the cat. It hopped on & ran up & sat on his shoulder. Hikari turned toward Yuji & Marlene. "These are our friends that we keep getting separated from. This is Kohaku, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha, Shippo, Myoga, & Kagome." She pointed out each person. "Everyone this is Yuji Kaido & Marlene Angel." Yuji smiled. Marlene kept on a ice cold stare that said nothing about her feelings. "Oy, Sesshoumaru you guys know what the hell those things were that attacked us last night?" Inuyasha asked his brother while striding toward him. Sesshoumaru turned his stone eyes on his brother. "They say they are called 'Blue'. They have taken over the planet earth. The remaining humans live in space, in a colony called '2nd earth'." Sesshoumaru stared out at the sun that hung over their heads at high noon. Inuyasha followed his gaze. "The well is near?" He asked. Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's in the basement of this building. You didn't happen to bring those 'Blue' things with you when you left did you?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing followed us. I nose." He poked his nose with a clawed finger & smiled at his brother who smiled back. "Well, lets go." Inuyasha said, turning he saw that the others were already making for the door. "Come on you guys!" Kagome called over her shoulder. Inuyasha walked after them. Sesshoumaru watched as Hikari picked up her things. "Sesshoumaru, come on." Hikari said over her shoulder. Slowly descending the stairs to follow Marlene & Yuji. Sesshoumaru cast a final glance at the torn city before going down the stairs.
The well was covered in dust like it usually was in the bottom of the building. Hikari sneezed as she investigated the other things that were in the basement. "Big boxes, big boxes, big boxes, & oh look, big boxes." She said in a bored tone. Returning to the group she found that Yuji & Marlene were asking what the need of the well was for. Kagome smiled. "That's top secret I'm afraid." She said as she swung one leg over. Yuji looked at Hikari pleadingly. She shrugged. "We need it in the way that you need that space transporter thingy." She pulled out two buttons, seeing no reason to put them in a bag. "Yuji, you might know this song that's on here. Marlene probably knows how to use them though." Marlene investigated the tiny buttons. "These things." She said picking one up & bumping the 'on' switch. The song played out. "A little present that means that we'll all meet again." Hikari said. She grabbed hold of the well edge & swung a leg over like Kagome. "Bye." She said & slid down into the well after Kagome had gone. Saisei clung to her shoulder tightly while the air rushed past them.
Hikari noticed a change in the well. Instead of the cool air that usually went over you there was instead foul, old tasting air. Like the kind you find in an old building that has no ventilation. Hikari gagged on the air. She could hear similar coughing coming from all around her. She clung to the sword in her hands hoping against hope that she wasn't sitting on another giant bug. She felt Saisei jitter around on her shoulder. Opening her shut eyes she saw nothing but gray. It was filmy gray color like that in old pictures, but it slowly seemed to focus on something. She could hear voices. One sounded like a woman, the other sounded like a man. Hikari put her hand out in front of her to make sure it wasn't her eyes that were going bad. She was stunned to see that her hand could be seen with no haziness or any disrupter. She tried to see through the gray that was no taking shape into different objects. A man was holding a woman close to him & they were both speaking to each other. Hikari looked to her right & left to see her friends staring avidly at the scene. Sesshoumaru was staring with wide, unbelieving eyes while sweat dripped down his face. Hikari looked from the people back to him several times. Finally the faces of the two people came into view. Hikari gulped at a younger Sesshoumaru & a girl that looked like.her? She watched as everyone else's eyes stared at her & Sesshoumaru. Hikari's mouth was open & her arms hung limply by her side. The sword clattered to the ground but made no noise. Saisei flapped his wings irritably & squawked loudly in Hikari's ear. She took no notice but stared at the woman that was staring back at her. "I see." Her voice was like Hikari's too. Hikari pulled the sword from he ground as the couple stepped apart. 'Lets just both be safe they woman said. Sesshoumaru nodded his head at her. Then turning he left the hall that they had been standing in. Where he had stood was now seen a carpet with many pillows around it. Hana grabbed the cable & hitched her sword up. "Lady Unmei, Little Lord Inuyasha. You can come out now." Hana smiled at the woman that stepped out from behind a wall with a small dog-eared boy holding tight to her hand. "I knew you would find me." She said taking a seat on the carpet & put the boy in her lap. Inuyasha cocked his ears forward & stared at himself with his mother. "Mom?" He asked taking a step forward. Hana turned slightly to stare at him. "Unmei do you remember when I said that someday I would be visited by my future self?" Unmei nodded. "She's here, & she's brought friends." Hana turned completely to stare at Hikari. She took a step backward. "I would like to talk with my other self please." She said to Hikari. Hikari felt her eyes grow hot. Her vision melted away, her body felt lighter. She tried to catch her self but her hands wouldn't move. "My turn." Said a voice that was inside he head. Hikari felt herself slip into unconsciousness.
Hikari glowed as her other self came out. Her eyes went glazed, & her hair seemed to sweep out from all sides. 'You wanted to speak with me?" Came her echoing voice. She held the sword to her. Her pupil-less eyes roved over the girl. "You have my sword-that-bears-no-name. What business do you have with it?" Hana smiled at her. "I'm surprised you don't know me. I am you. You are I. The other you that calls herself Hikari is also me, but you are my spirit that protects & helps her use the sword correctly. Therefore my business with this sword is to keep it safe for her." Hikari's other self gave a small unrecognizable smile. "So, you are the one who was tortured into bearing this sword. Tell me who gave it to you? What fool would give this sword to a child?" Hana's smiled did not cover the sadness that leaked out. "I was given the sword by a monk that told me to run. Never look back, just run till I could run no more. Then to give it to the one whom would be able to use it properly. Unfortunately you have been able to make it over yourself. I guess my mission is completed. But of course the sword is not complete. It lacks a certain something." Hikari raised the sword that was hung in the same blue glow like her. "It lacks?" She asked with a faint hint of worry. Hana showed off the blade that was sheathed by her side. "It's resemblance is the same. However it desires the love of the other you. She did not want to make this sword correct? You made it for her when she was almost killed. So, you made the blade against her will. You will continue to travel through time until she has faced her worst memories also. Sesshoumaru's worst memory however. Is about to begin, but I have made it so that he will not have to suffer through that again." Hikari put her blade back down. "I will not allow my other half to suffer. I will protect her from those memories like I always have. Like I always will." Hana gave her a small nod. "But you cannot protect her this time. She MUST face the truth. She must remember what happened again. Then she will let you create the blade with everything correct." Hikari's eyes slid away from the eyes from the woman. "Tell me one final thing. What is our true name, & what must I name our sword?" Hana looked sad again. "My name is.Hogasha. I am the Megami Hogasha. The Goddess Protector. Our job for centuries has been to protect those that were important to the future of the world. I am neither Goddess nor human but I am not a clear reincarnation of Hogasha. I am her but in another sense not her. I have none of her powers but to be able to wield the sword. Hikari however is a reincarnation of the original Goddess herself, as well as me. As for the sword.only you can give it its rightful name. The Goddess for her duties, uses the sword, only she can give it a name. I am not the one who can give the sword a name. That is your job." Hikari thought that over. "So, you protect Unmei because she is the one who is important to the future?" Hana shook her head. "It was Unmei that I was protecting, she was the one who would birth the child that would be very important to the future of this world, even though he would have to go through a great deal of emotional, & physical pain to save it." She turned toward Inuyasha with a smile. He looked suddenly very aware at her words. Hikari nodded. "Thank you Hana." The woman nodded. Her nod was cut short by the sound of an explosion. The wall had been torn away to reveal a group of men that were standing, clad in dark clothes, in the frame of the mess. Hana went for her sword. "Inuyasha, come back!" Came a shriek from the pillows as the cord was tugged. Unmei fell through the trap door but Inuyasha had scampered off when the noise had struck. "Mommy!" He called running back for the carpets but it was too late. Hana swung the sword down & hit all the ninja but one. The others died instantly under her blade. She turned to see him scoop the tiny boy up into his arms & take off. Then the wall seemed to melt as Hana took off in a rage after him. "Hana-san help!" Called the tiny boy who was trying feebly to bite the mans arm. Hana took off down the hall. Hikari felt like she had wakened up from a long nap, when her eyes caught sight of the changing scenery. She gasped when she realized that she had practically slept through the whole thing.
Her eyes locked onto the scenery that seemed to change suddenly & faster than before. She remembered this place! It was her old Kindergarten from her old home. She could see herself on the other side of the room, playing with blocks by herself. She looked wistfully at her old self. Her mind went back to try & find the particular day. She gasped. Not that day! Why couldn't it be the day that she had brought in a snake for show & tell? Or the time she had fed the school hamster a chocolate bar? She wished that she could close her eyes but it was too late, the worst was about to happen.
A curly haired girl was walking over toward Hikari's child self with a posse of other girls behind her. On the other side of the room a brown haired boy, & blonde haired girl who looked like Hikari shifted uneasily in theirs seats. The girls stood over Hikari with smirks on their faces. "What are you doing Kayla?" Asked the girl that seemed to be the ringleader. The tiny girl looked up. "I'm playing with blocks." She said simply. Hikari was stunned to see that none of the Japanese speaking people seemed to be confused by the fact that the girls were speaking English. She wondered if they could understand it in Japanese. The girl with curly hair kicked over the blocks. "Not any more. Now we're playing with them & you're not aloud to play." Hikari looked like she was going to cry. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked down at the ruined tower that she had been building. "B- but I was here first." She whined. The girl smirked down at her. "Big deal. Now we're here." Chibi-Hikari stood up. "I want to play with the blocks too." She said defiantly. The curly haired girl scowled at her. "You can play by yourself then. In the corner!" The girl stepped forward suddenly & attempted to push Hikari. Hikari dodged out of the way. "Hey, stop." She said in an innocent way. The girl turned in a rage. She charged & managed to push Hikari that time. Hikari fell to her butt, both arms behind her trying to break her fall. When she hit the ground the girls that were led by the curly haired girl were laughing up a storm. They all turned their backs & went after their leader that had seemed to lose interest in the blocks. Tiny Hikari was crying into her hands while they laughed. A blue aura rose around her. "You guys are mean!" She screamed lifting her head to reveal a glowing forehead. The light seemed to spring from her & lash out toward the girls. The troupe screamed & ducked or ran. The brown haired boy & blonde haired girl ran forward & grabbed one of Hikari's arms on either side. With a tiny bit of effort they were able to move her from the ground. "Come on Kayla, we gotta go." The girl said & went for the door. They made it out in time to see the teacher returning from the faculty room. "Oh, what's going on?" She asked peering into the room. The other children were all under their desks, hiding from the strange glow. The teacher noticed the weeping Hikari. "What's the matter?" She asked them again. The blonde haired girl glanced at the boy. "It's a game. Kayla's not feeling good. We're taking her to the bathroom." The teacher nodded as she watched the class cringe away from the kids that passed her by. As she walked in the classroom started to fade. "What happened?" She asked her class. One child pointed a shaky finger at the door. When he spoke his voice was distorted. "It was that freak Kayla. She did something weird. She started glowing & then a strange power seemed to explode from her. Whatever she did it hit the girls that were bullying her only a few minutes before." He pointed then to the gang of girls that were laying on the floor with theirs mouths & eyes wide open. The image shifted again & started to melt away into another.
Hikari's eyes were hollow during the whole thing. She was embarrassed to have her friends witness her child hood. Sesshoumaru put an arm around her shoulders. "So, that's why you didn't want to go back to your old home?" He asked. Hikari nodded. "One of several times that that happened. Everyone but those two that helped me feared me. I could never remember that happening until they started calling me freak or glow master." Hikari rubbed her head. But it didn't help her relieve any of the stress that was building in her forehead. The next image was coming, she could already hear weeping. She stiffened. She could see the picture of a girl & two others beside her, all three were crying. One, the girl in the middle was Hikari herself. Her hair was pulled back into a single braided ponytail that hung on top of her head instead of laying at the bottom like it usually did. Her hair was shorter too, the blonde locks were a softer blonde than her hair was now. Next to her on her right was her friend Heather who had helped her in the class room. Heather's hair was the same color as Hikari's but much shorter. Her hair fell to slightly below her ears. Brown freckles dotted her face, standing out against her red cheeks that were soaked with tears. The person on her left was a boy that had brown hair. His eyes were the only ones that were opened to reveal the color. They were a light brown like his hair. His eyes spilled tears as well. After some time of crying Heather raised her head from her palms. Exposing her eyes that had no definite color. The Sengoku Jidaii travelers were soon to learn that the color was called Hazel. They seemed to be a mixture of blues, greens, grays, yellows, & browns. Each color depending on mood whirled to the top & became the eye color of the day. "So, you'll be back once a year right? A- and you'll write us?" She choked through her tears. Hikari raised her head. Nodding slowly she uttered a brief "Uh, huh." Before breaking into sobs again. The boy bent his head. "Maybe we can visit you sometime. And at least you won't have to listen to those nuts at school." Hikari shook her head. "There will be new nuts at my school. I bet I can't even speak their language." Her blue eyes swam with tears as she sniffled. The boy rubbed away his tears. "You're not leaving till tonight right?" Hikari nodded. "Alright then. Let's go!" He jumped from the stairs that they had been sitting on. He held a hand out to Hikari. She looked at it then him. "Where to?" She asked. She had stopped crying to listen to him. "To give you the best day you'll ever have here." He proclaimed. Hikari smiled & jumped up. Taking his hand she ran after him with Heather at their heels. "Yeah, let's do it!" She cried as they ran down the street. Heather ran after them with a smile. "Hold on you guys, I wanna come!" She called as she tried hard to catch up with them. All three had disappeared in seconds. The stoop, house behind, & town started to melt & reshape into the final memory.
Sesshoumaru was confused by the whole ordeal. "What just happened he asked Hikari who looked about to cry. "I was telling my friends 'goodbye' a final time before I left for Tokyo." She said. Why was she revisiting her most painful memories? How had she managed to fight back the tears so far? What was the next memory of? She bit her tongue as she strove to hold down the sobs that were rising in her throat. The gray took shape into a kitchen this time. Rin, Sesshoumaru, Hikari, & Jaken noticed right away that it was Hikari's kitchen at her house. She gasped as the memory took shape in her head. "No." she said in a soft voice. "Not here." The sound of running water interrupted her words. Hikari herself at about the age of 14 was standing at the sink with an apron on. She was scrubbing a plate when the phone rang. Humming to herself she answered the phone. "Hello?" She asked. A hurried voice could be heard on the other line. "This is she." Hikari said in a confused tone. Her eyebrow was raised as she listened. "Yes, but I don't see.what?" Her expression changed quickly from confusion, to anger, then shock, & finally sadness. "If this is some prank I swear I'll." She started but was cut off by the other voice. "I." Her eyes closed as she sunk to her knees. She dropped the receiver & cried into her arms. A voice kept coming from the phone as she sobbed. "Miss Lorenz? Are you there? Miss Lorenz?" Hikaru came dashing into the room in his human form. Dog-ears were pricked up on his head as they darted from side to side. "Hikari? Hikari, what's the matter?" He picked up the receiver & put it to one dog-ear. "Hello, hello? Who is this?" He watched the crying girl at his feet with a concerned look. "No, this is her guardian, Hikaru." He said into the phone. "What happened?" He glared as he listened. His expression changed as rapidly as Hikari's. "I see.thank you for telling us. Goodbye." He hung up the phone. Hikari herself couldn't contain the sobs anymore. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the memory played out. "They're gone." Her old self sobbed into her hands on the floor. "All of them. Why didn't I go with them?" Her voice started to get louder as she cried. "I can't believe it. They just went like that." She stood & walked toward the door that Sesshoumaru, Rin, & Jaken had never passed. "I need to." She started but the comment was swallowed in tears as she ran up what sounded like stairs. Her footsteps could be heard going across the ceiling. Hikaru rubbed his head & sat down at the table. Tears ran down his cheeks. "Poor girl." He said as he grabbed a portable phone on the table & started to dial a number into it. As he put the phone to his head the image faded. "Hello?" Was all that could be heard in the final haze. The gray was swept away to reveal a craggy rock wall. Under their feet were bones lining the dirt floor of the well. Squeezed together at the bottom were the time & space travelers. Hikari suggested letting the tiny people go before them. Shippo, Rin, Jaken, Myoga, Kirara, & Kohaku all climbed out. Ah-Un who was scrunched back against the wall was groaning. Saisei refused to fly away from Hikari's head. He nipped at Sesshoumaru's clawed fingers that were rapped around Hikari's shoulder. She finally picked him up & tossed him into the air over her head. "Calm down Saisei." She commanded sternly. He growled down at her but flew to the top. Kagome, Sango, & Hikari went next. Inuyasha jumped out & landed out in the building that surrounded the well in the future. Miroku was next to get through. Sesshoumaru jumped up after him & landed next to Inuyasha. Ah-Un managed to pull his bulk out of the well after a short time. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, & Kohaku examined their surroundings with great care. Since they had never been to 'Kagome's Time' they had no idea where they were. Inuyasha cocked an ear toward the door. "Feh. Someone's coming." He said in an irritated tone. He pressed his ears flat against his head as the door slid open. Kagome's little brother, Sota, was standing in the doorway, gasping for breath. "Kagome?!" He asked looking down on the crowd. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sota? What's the matter?" Sota ran down the stairs. "You've been gone for almost a month! Mom was worried sick!" Kagome gasped. "No way! I was supposed to be back for a test!" Hikari put a hand on her shoulder. "Chill girl we're off. It's a holiday remember?" Kagome suddenly calmed down. "Oh, yeah. I graduated a week before I left foe the Sengoku Jidaii again. So.that means I'm in the middle of my vacation." Hikari nodded. "Me too." Kagome looked down at Sota. "Sorry, Naraku enchanted the well so that we couldn't get through to the proper time. We had to go through several different time zones to get back." Sota's eyes widened. "Really sis?! You got transported through time & space?! How come you always get the fun adventures?" He was stunned to see Sesshoumaru standing nearby. "Who's this?" He asked pointing to him. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. Rin peeked out from behind him & Jaken peeked out from behind her. "Them too." He said pointing to them. Kagome put a hand over his finger & pushed it down. "It's not polite to point. This is Sesshoumaru the Taiyoukai. That's Rin, & that's Jaken. This is Sango & Miroku, Shippo, & Kohaku. This little guy is Kirara & the big two-headed dragon is Ah-Un." She said then noticed Myoga on her shoulder. "Oh, this is Myoga." She said. Sota looked at them. "This is Sesshoumaru?!" He asked pointing again. Kagome nodded & hoped he wouldn't bring up all the comments she used to use for the youkai. "I thought he'd be more." Sota twirled a finger in the air in thought. "I don't know, I just pictured him different. Where are the dog ears?" He asked pointing to his head. Hikari fought down a giggle at the look on Sesshoumaru's face. "I thought you said that Sesshoumaru & Inuyasha were brothers? Where are his ears?" Hikari could barely hold it down, her cheeks started to rosy. Kagome sweat dropped. "Well, his ears are different because he's a full blooded youkai." Sota examined the demon for another minute. "But I thought you said that he was a." Kagome grabbed his shoulder & pushed him toward the door. "No more questions. I'm coming to get some stuff to repack. Then we're going to Hikari's so she can pack. Then we're leaving again." Kagome turned at the door. "Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Shippo. Some things that you may see may be frightening but everything is essentially harmless. Just stay close & don't wander off." She warned before they reached the door. They all raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. When they emerged into a sunny day they understood what she meant about frightening. The place was swarming with humans & large mechanical beasts that they were riding in. The beasts roared as they clattered down the long Black River. Miroku pulled out a slip of paper with writing on it. "Those demons have devoured humans!" He said ready to flip the slip at the cars. Kagome grabbed his arm. "Miroku, no! Those are cars! They're man-made & we use them to ride in to get from place to place. They're not demons, just big hunks of metal that move." She pulled her hand away & led the way again to her house. Hikari could barely hold the laughter in. "A palace." Sango breathed when she saw Kagome's home. Kagome smiled at her. "No, this is the normal size for houses." Kagome pointed to the houses that lay across the street from them. Sango's eyes widened. "I see." She said watching the cars go by. The day still seemed to be around noon. Kagome put her hand on the door & turned again to look at everyone. Sighing she opened the door & turned back to see what lay beyond. Her Grandpa & Mother were sitting at a table with their heads bent in worry. When the door opened Sota walked in ahead of Kagome with a sour expression. "Found her." He said pointing over his shoulder. Kagome's mother raised her head, her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her daughter then the group outside. "Kagome, where have you been?" She asked in a worried tone. Kagome stepped inside & took off her shoes. "Sorry mom, we were sent down the well by Naraku. He cast a spell on it & we kept landing in alternate dimensions, so we lost track of time." The others waited out side the door. Kagome's mother looked at them. "Who are all these people? I know Inuyasha but who are the rest?" Kagome looked back at them. "Mom, this is Hikari Oukami from Crossroads High, She fell down the well too. This is Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's brother. Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Myoga, Rin, Ah-Un, & Kirara. Oh, & Jaken." Kagome pointed out each of the people in turn. "They're friends from the Sengoku Jidaii. Sorry, but I just came home to pack again. Then we're going to Hikari's house to pack her stuff, then back here to leave again." Kagome walked over to the stairs. "I'll be right back down." She called to her friends in the door. They all stood stock still as the three human relatives of Kagome walked toward them. "So, you're the famous Hikari Oukami?" Her mother asked. Hikari felt embarrassed. "I'm not exactly famous.but yeah I am her." Her mother inspected her for some time. "I hope you aren't influencing my daughter with your bad habits." She said. Hikari scratched her chin. "Bad habits." She mumbled thoughtfully. "You're fighting during school. There was a tale of you beating up an innocent girl before you left. The police said that there was only a man at your house that said that no such girl lived at your house but a Miss Kayla Lorenz." Hikari remembered now. "Actually that girl attacked me. I was acting in self-defense, like Kagome. I'm not giving her any bad habits, she learned how to fight before we even met. Oh, & that was Hikaru, my youkai dog." Kagome's mom looked stunned. "Are you saying that my daughter is a delinquent like you?" Hikari shook her head. "No, just that the only thing I've ever done is protect myself. It's the girls that cry about getting hurt when I beat them. I don't know why they show up." Hikari shrugged. She was not the least bit annoyed with this conversation. "What was it like to travel through time? Are you really a good fighter like everyone says? Sango, you're a demon slayer right? So are you Kohaku?" Sota went on, wanting to know everything. Hikari smiled at him. He sure was jealous of Kagome. Sesshoumaru had grown agitated with the woman during the questioning of Hikari. Who was she to ask such questions of the girl? For her information Hikari was a good girl & was telling the truth! He could hear Hikari in his head though, warning him not to cause a scene & that she was fine with the questioning if it made her trust them. He settled down & put his arm back around her shoulder. Kagome's mom noticed & watched the two for some time to Sesshoumaru's great dislike. Saisei was uncomfortable with the arm too. He had been flying around over their heads when the arm had landed in his spot. He chirped an angry warning to them from above as he landed. Sesshoumaru & Hikari ignored him. When he landed, everyone in the room was staring. "What is that?" Sota asked pointing to the dragon. Hikari reached up & picked him up from her head. "Him? This is Saisei. He's my dragon that's a reincarnation of this guy that I uh.fought once. Rin's got one too. His name is Shiro & he's a direct copy of me. They say that he can feel everything that I do & mimics my feelings." They all studied the dragon. "It is remarkable to see the White & Black Dragon Clans are truly not dead." Said Grandpa from his seat at the table. Hikari nodded. "I thought you might be able to tell what I was." She said with a grin. He nodded sagely. "There are few who can see the aura of a girl with powers like yours anymore. I suppose that everyone in the Sengoku Jidaii can see your aura that you put off." He said. Hikari shook her head. "Nope, I think only people like Kagome, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kikyo, Naraku, Kagura & all them can see it. You know only people with the power to see aura's." She tried to explain it but it was complicated to put into words that they would understand. "So, you're a warrior descendant? I guess that makes sense." Kagome's mother said. Steps issued through the ceiling. Kagome was almost done. "Actually I'm a Goddess reborn. I am Goddess Protector, meaning that I am a Goddess sworn to defend someone who is important to the future. My powers were kinda crazy in this time because the one I was supposed to protect was not nearby. She was in the Sengoku Jidaii. Little Rin. That explains why I would lose control sometimes during a battle." Hikari lifted her hands & looked at them. "You have this crazy-mad power that you can only use when protecting someone important to the future?" Sota asked. Hikari nodded. Kagome came down the steps with Buyo in her arms. "Sota stop leaving open candy bars on your desk. You're leaving out fair game for Buyo & he's fat enough already. I don't know how many he ate & licked on but you better check because there are torn up wrappers all over your room." Sota panicked & ran up the stairs with a wave to Inuyasha & the others. "Come back to visit soon. I want to show you my room." They all waved back to the cheerful boy. Then turning they left the house behind & headed for Hikari's. ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ........
Sorry got to cut it again. Too big for this site.
No birds sang during the first morning hours when Yuji & the others were packing up. Jaken had guessed that the birds sensed that the 'Blue' might attack if they made any noise & had ceased singing in cities. Hikari laid against the wall still her body wrapped in the blanket that Rin had tucked in when she had woken up. Her guitar leaned against the wall beside her as she breathed slowly. Every now & then an arm or leg would twitch but she didn't wake until near lunch.
Her eyes opened slowly until they caught the glare of the sun. Groaning she covered her face with the blanket. "No, not again." She muttered as she pulled the blanket away to let her eyes adjust. Her pupils shifted shape several times before they focused on the place around her. She swayed as she rubbed her bleary eyes, stumbling over her backpack with a grunt. "Stupid thing." She groaned as she tried to right herself & tripped again. Rin ran over to the stumbling Hikari who had the blanket still trailing after her. "Rin will assist Hikari-sama to walk." She said taking her by the wrist & steering her around pipes & other things that jutted out from the roof. Sesshoumaru smiled softly at the sight of the older girl allowing herself to be guided by the younger one. It looked very comical actually. It looked like a teenager helping an elderly person down the sidewalk. Hikari yawned & stretched when she was finally released & aloud to walk freely. "Thank you Rin-chan. I'm not too good with walking when I first wake up." Hikari yawned again. "I gotta stop getting up so late though." She reached into her pack & passed out some nutri-grain & energy bars. "Sorry this is all I have for now. I'll have to restock on actual stuff that you can eat." Hikari handed one to Marlene who stared first at the food then up at Hikari. Hikari smiled at her. She pointed to the bar. "Ffffoooooddd. You eat?" Hikari rubbed her stomach. "Yum." She took a bite out of hers as she turned away still smiling. Yuji held down a burst of laughter. Rin didn't get the joke but ate hers anyway. Jaken came out from the stairs with Saisei & Shiro doing loop-the-loops over his head. "I have located the well. It is in the basement of this building." Hikari smiled at him & tossed an energy bar his way. He stared at it for a moment. Hikari did the same thing as she had done to Marlene. "Man you guys act like future food is poison." She said through a mouth full of nutri-grain. Sesshoumaru stared out at the sky. Turning slightly he looked at Hikari who smiled back at him. "They're coming." He said in a cool tone. Hikari nodded & watched the same dot against the sun that he was. "We can get rollin' then." Hikari said through a mouthful of breakfast bar. She turned toward Yuji. "Looks like the rest of our crew is coming. Where are you two headed for?" Yuji cocked his head toward the desert that lay on the other side of the city. "We have to head for the nearest space station. According to Marlene it's through that part of the desert over there." Hikari nodded. "Sorry we can't give you a lift but our way out of here is through that well." Yuji shrugged. "That's Ok. You gave us a big enough lift through that first part of the desert." Hikari smiled at him, then carefully walked over to the door that led to the stairs. Leaning against the door she shut her eyes in thought.
After a while she opened her eyes to see that Kirara & a jumping red dot that seemed to be Inuyasha was almost to the building. "How are these 'Blue' things going to be killed?" Marlene snapped her head in Hikari's direction. "We aren't exactly sure yet. It would be easier if it didn't seem that the 'Blue' were evolving to protect their core from our weapons." Yuji said while he watched the flying cat with rapt attention. "That is not our mission at the moment." Marlene cut in with her commanding tone. "My mission is to bring the 'sleeper' Yuji Kaido to '2nd Earth' at all costs. The extermination of the 'Blue' is not a mission at this point." Hikari was stunned by her military way of speaking. "Oh." Was all she could say.
Yuji's eyes went wide when the group finally landed. His eyes darted everywhere & focused at no more than one thing at a time. His mouth hung open slightly at the sight of the dog-eared man, the huge flaming cat, the giant boomerang, the simple monk, & finally he had to squint to see the tiny speck that was jumping from shoulder to shoulder. A tiny little boy with a tail was sitting on the shoulder of a tall young woman who had long black hair & a sailor fuku on. The other woman that accompanied the group was a tall woman who also had black hair & a giant boomerang slung over her back. A small boy that must have been an adolescent was getting down from the giant cat. "ah, so nice to see you Hikari-chan." Said the monk. Hikari smiled & ran over to them. "Nice to see you too Miroku." Yuji's eyes were ripped away from them when a large flame caught his eye. The giant cat was engulfed in its own flames. He gasped as the others took no notice while the flame got smaller & smaller. When the fire finally disappeared a tiny cat with two tails was walking over toward the teenage boy. "Here Kirara." He said putting a hand down for the cat. It hopped on & ran up & sat on his shoulder. Hikari turned toward Yuji & Marlene. "These are our friends that we keep getting separated from. This is Kohaku, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Inuyasha, Shippo, Myoga, & Kagome." She pointed out each person. "Everyone this is Yuji Kaido & Marlene Angel." Yuji smiled. Marlene kept on a ice cold stare that said nothing about her feelings. "Oy, Sesshoumaru you guys know what the hell those things were that attacked us last night?" Inuyasha asked his brother while striding toward him. Sesshoumaru turned his stone eyes on his brother. "They say they are called 'Blue'. They have taken over the planet earth. The remaining humans live in space, in a colony called '2nd earth'." Sesshoumaru stared out at the sun that hung over their heads at high noon. Inuyasha followed his gaze. "The well is near?" He asked. Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's in the basement of this building. You didn't happen to bring those 'Blue' things with you when you left did you?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing followed us. I nose." He poked his nose with a clawed finger & smiled at his brother who smiled back. "Well, lets go." Inuyasha said, turning he saw that the others were already making for the door. "Come on you guys!" Kagome called over her shoulder. Inuyasha walked after them. Sesshoumaru watched as Hikari picked up her things. "Sesshoumaru, come on." Hikari said over her shoulder. Slowly descending the stairs to follow Marlene & Yuji. Sesshoumaru cast a final glance at the torn city before going down the stairs.
The well was covered in dust like it usually was in the bottom of the building. Hikari sneezed as she investigated the other things that were in the basement. "Big boxes, big boxes, big boxes, & oh look, big boxes." She said in a bored tone. Returning to the group she found that Yuji & Marlene were asking what the need of the well was for. Kagome smiled. "That's top secret I'm afraid." She said as she swung one leg over. Yuji looked at Hikari pleadingly. She shrugged. "We need it in the way that you need that space transporter thingy." She pulled out two buttons, seeing no reason to put them in a bag. "Yuji, you might know this song that's on here. Marlene probably knows how to use them though." Marlene investigated the tiny buttons. "These things." She said picking one up & bumping the 'on' switch. The song played out. "A little present that means that we'll all meet again." Hikari said. She grabbed hold of the well edge & swung a leg over like Kagome. "Bye." She said & slid down into the well after Kagome had gone. Saisei clung to her shoulder tightly while the air rushed past them.
Hikari noticed a change in the well. Instead of the cool air that usually went over you there was instead foul, old tasting air. Like the kind you find in an old building that has no ventilation. Hikari gagged on the air. She could hear similar coughing coming from all around her. She clung to the sword in her hands hoping against hope that she wasn't sitting on another giant bug. She felt Saisei jitter around on her shoulder. Opening her shut eyes she saw nothing but gray. It was filmy gray color like that in old pictures, but it slowly seemed to focus on something. She could hear voices. One sounded like a woman, the other sounded like a man. Hikari put her hand out in front of her to make sure it wasn't her eyes that were going bad. She was stunned to see that her hand could be seen with no haziness or any disrupter. She tried to see through the gray that was no taking shape into different objects. A man was holding a woman close to him & they were both speaking to each other. Hikari looked to her right & left to see her friends staring avidly at the scene. Sesshoumaru was staring with wide, unbelieving eyes while sweat dripped down his face. Hikari looked from the people back to him several times. Finally the faces of the two people came into view. Hikari gulped at a younger Sesshoumaru & a girl that looked like.her? She watched as everyone else's eyes stared at her & Sesshoumaru. Hikari's mouth was open & her arms hung limply by her side. The sword clattered to the ground but made no noise. Saisei flapped his wings irritably & squawked loudly in Hikari's ear. She took no notice but stared at the woman that was staring back at her. "I see." Her voice was like Hikari's too. Hikari pulled the sword from he ground as the couple stepped apart. 'Lets just both be safe they woman said. Sesshoumaru nodded his head at her. Then turning he left the hall that they had been standing in. Where he had stood was now seen a carpet with many pillows around it. Hana grabbed the cable & hitched her sword up. "Lady Unmei, Little Lord Inuyasha. You can come out now." Hana smiled at the woman that stepped out from behind a wall with a small dog-eared boy holding tight to her hand. "I knew you would find me." She said taking a seat on the carpet & put the boy in her lap. Inuyasha cocked his ears forward & stared at himself with his mother. "Mom?" He asked taking a step forward. Hana turned slightly to stare at him. "Unmei do you remember when I said that someday I would be visited by my future self?" Unmei nodded. "She's here, & she's brought friends." Hana turned completely to stare at Hikari. She took a step backward. "I would like to talk with my other self please." She said to Hikari. Hikari felt her eyes grow hot. Her vision melted away, her body felt lighter. She tried to catch her self but her hands wouldn't move. "My turn." Said a voice that was inside he head. Hikari felt herself slip into unconsciousness.
Hikari glowed as her other self came out. Her eyes went glazed, & her hair seemed to sweep out from all sides. 'You wanted to speak with me?" Came her echoing voice. She held the sword to her. Her pupil-less eyes roved over the girl. "You have my sword-that-bears-no-name. What business do you have with it?" Hana smiled at her. "I'm surprised you don't know me. I am you. You are I. The other you that calls herself Hikari is also me, but you are my spirit that protects & helps her use the sword correctly. Therefore my business with this sword is to keep it safe for her." Hikari's other self gave a small unrecognizable smile. "So, you are the one who was tortured into bearing this sword. Tell me who gave it to you? What fool would give this sword to a child?" Hana's smiled did not cover the sadness that leaked out. "I was given the sword by a monk that told me to run. Never look back, just run till I could run no more. Then to give it to the one whom would be able to use it properly. Unfortunately you have been able to make it over yourself. I guess my mission is completed. But of course the sword is not complete. It lacks a certain something." Hikari raised the sword that was hung in the same blue glow like her. "It lacks?" She asked with a faint hint of worry. Hana showed off the blade that was sheathed by her side. "It's resemblance is the same. However it desires the love of the other you. She did not want to make this sword correct? You made it for her when she was almost killed. So, you made the blade against her will. You will continue to travel through time until she has faced her worst memories also. Sesshoumaru's worst memory however. Is about to begin, but I have made it so that he will not have to suffer through that again." Hikari put her blade back down. "I will not allow my other half to suffer. I will protect her from those memories like I always have. Like I always will." Hana gave her a small nod. "But you cannot protect her this time. She MUST face the truth. She must remember what happened again. Then she will let you create the blade with everything correct." Hikari's eyes slid away from the eyes from the woman. "Tell me one final thing. What is our true name, & what must I name our sword?" Hana looked sad again. "My name is.Hogasha. I am the Megami Hogasha. The Goddess Protector. Our job for centuries has been to protect those that were important to the future of the world. I am neither Goddess nor human but I am not a clear reincarnation of Hogasha. I am her but in another sense not her. I have none of her powers but to be able to wield the sword. Hikari however is a reincarnation of the original Goddess herself, as well as me. As for the sword.only you can give it its rightful name. The Goddess for her duties, uses the sword, only she can give it a name. I am not the one who can give the sword a name. That is your job." Hikari thought that over. "So, you protect Unmei because she is the one who is important to the future?" Hana shook her head. "It was Unmei that I was protecting, she was the one who would birth the child that would be very important to the future of this world, even though he would have to go through a great deal of emotional, & physical pain to save it." She turned toward Inuyasha with a smile. He looked suddenly very aware at her words. Hikari nodded. "Thank you Hana." The woman nodded. Her nod was cut short by the sound of an explosion. The wall had been torn away to reveal a group of men that were standing, clad in dark clothes, in the frame of the mess. Hana went for her sword. "Inuyasha, come back!" Came a shriek from the pillows as the cord was tugged. Unmei fell through the trap door but Inuyasha had scampered off when the noise had struck. "Mommy!" He called running back for the carpets but it was too late. Hana swung the sword down & hit all the ninja but one. The others died instantly under her blade. She turned to see him scoop the tiny boy up into his arms & take off. Then the wall seemed to melt as Hana took off in a rage after him. "Hana-san help!" Called the tiny boy who was trying feebly to bite the mans arm. Hana took off down the hall. Hikari felt like she had wakened up from a long nap, when her eyes caught sight of the changing scenery. She gasped when she realized that she had practically slept through the whole thing.
Her eyes locked onto the scenery that seemed to change suddenly & faster than before. She remembered this place! It was her old Kindergarten from her old home. She could see herself on the other side of the room, playing with blocks by herself. She looked wistfully at her old self. Her mind went back to try & find the particular day. She gasped. Not that day! Why couldn't it be the day that she had brought in a snake for show & tell? Or the time she had fed the school hamster a chocolate bar? She wished that she could close her eyes but it was too late, the worst was about to happen.
A curly haired girl was walking over toward Hikari's child self with a posse of other girls behind her. On the other side of the room a brown haired boy, & blonde haired girl who looked like Hikari shifted uneasily in theirs seats. The girls stood over Hikari with smirks on their faces. "What are you doing Kayla?" Asked the girl that seemed to be the ringleader. The tiny girl looked up. "I'm playing with blocks." She said simply. Hikari was stunned to see that none of the Japanese speaking people seemed to be confused by the fact that the girls were speaking English. She wondered if they could understand it in Japanese. The girl with curly hair kicked over the blocks. "Not any more. Now we're playing with them & you're not aloud to play." Hikari looked like she was going to cry. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked down at the ruined tower that she had been building. "B- but I was here first." She whined. The girl smirked down at her. "Big deal. Now we're here." Chibi-Hikari stood up. "I want to play with the blocks too." She said defiantly. The curly haired girl scowled at her. "You can play by yourself then. In the corner!" The girl stepped forward suddenly & attempted to push Hikari. Hikari dodged out of the way. "Hey, stop." She said in an innocent way. The girl turned in a rage. She charged & managed to push Hikari that time. Hikari fell to her butt, both arms behind her trying to break her fall. When she hit the ground the girls that were led by the curly haired girl were laughing up a storm. They all turned their backs & went after their leader that had seemed to lose interest in the blocks. Tiny Hikari was crying into her hands while they laughed. A blue aura rose around her. "You guys are mean!" She screamed lifting her head to reveal a glowing forehead. The light seemed to spring from her & lash out toward the girls. The troupe screamed & ducked or ran. The brown haired boy & blonde haired girl ran forward & grabbed one of Hikari's arms on either side. With a tiny bit of effort they were able to move her from the ground. "Come on Kayla, we gotta go." The girl said & went for the door. They made it out in time to see the teacher returning from the faculty room. "Oh, what's going on?" She asked peering into the room. The other children were all under their desks, hiding from the strange glow. The teacher noticed the weeping Hikari. "What's the matter?" She asked them again. The blonde haired girl glanced at the boy. "It's a game. Kayla's not feeling good. We're taking her to the bathroom." The teacher nodded as she watched the class cringe away from the kids that passed her by. As she walked in the classroom started to fade. "What happened?" She asked her class. One child pointed a shaky finger at the door. When he spoke his voice was distorted. "It was that freak Kayla. She did something weird. She started glowing & then a strange power seemed to explode from her. Whatever she did it hit the girls that were bullying her only a few minutes before." He pointed then to the gang of girls that were laying on the floor with theirs mouths & eyes wide open. The image shifted again & started to melt away into another.
Hikari's eyes were hollow during the whole thing. She was embarrassed to have her friends witness her child hood. Sesshoumaru put an arm around her shoulders. "So, that's why you didn't want to go back to your old home?" He asked. Hikari nodded. "One of several times that that happened. Everyone but those two that helped me feared me. I could never remember that happening until they started calling me freak or glow master." Hikari rubbed her head. But it didn't help her relieve any of the stress that was building in her forehead. The next image was coming, she could already hear weeping. She stiffened. She could see the picture of a girl & two others beside her, all three were crying. One, the girl in the middle was Hikari herself. Her hair was pulled back into a single braided ponytail that hung on top of her head instead of laying at the bottom like it usually did. Her hair was shorter too, the blonde locks were a softer blonde than her hair was now. Next to her on her right was her friend Heather who had helped her in the class room. Heather's hair was the same color as Hikari's but much shorter. Her hair fell to slightly below her ears. Brown freckles dotted her face, standing out against her red cheeks that were soaked with tears. The person on her left was a boy that had brown hair. His eyes were the only ones that were opened to reveal the color. They were a light brown like his hair. His eyes spilled tears as well. After some time of crying Heather raised her head from her palms. Exposing her eyes that had no definite color. The Sengoku Jidaii travelers were soon to learn that the color was called Hazel. They seemed to be a mixture of blues, greens, grays, yellows, & browns. Each color depending on mood whirled to the top & became the eye color of the day. "So, you'll be back once a year right? A- and you'll write us?" She choked through her tears. Hikari raised her head. Nodding slowly she uttered a brief "Uh, huh." Before breaking into sobs again. The boy bent his head. "Maybe we can visit you sometime. And at least you won't have to listen to those nuts at school." Hikari shook her head. "There will be new nuts at my school. I bet I can't even speak their language." Her blue eyes swam with tears as she sniffled. The boy rubbed away his tears. "You're not leaving till tonight right?" Hikari nodded. "Alright then. Let's go!" He jumped from the stairs that they had been sitting on. He held a hand out to Hikari. She looked at it then him. "Where to?" She asked. She had stopped crying to listen to him. "To give you the best day you'll ever have here." He proclaimed. Hikari smiled & jumped up. Taking his hand she ran after him with Heather at their heels. "Yeah, let's do it!" She cried as they ran down the street. Heather ran after them with a smile. "Hold on you guys, I wanna come!" She called as she tried hard to catch up with them. All three had disappeared in seconds. The stoop, house behind, & town started to melt & reshape into the final memory.
Sesshoumaru was confused by the whole ordeal. "What just happened he asked Hikari who looked about to cry. "I was telling my friends 'goodbye' a final time before I left for Tokyo." She said. Why was she revisiting her most painful memories? How had she managed to fight back the tears so far? What was the next memory of? She bit her tongue as she strove to hold down the sobs that were rising in her throat. The gray took shape into a kitchen this time. Rin, Sesshoumaru, Hikari, & Jaken noticed right away that it was Hikari's kitchen at her house. She gasped as the memory took shape in her head. "No." she said in a soft voice. "Not here." The sound of running water interrupted her words. Hikari herself at about the age of 14 was standing at the sink with an apron on. She was scrubbing a plate when the phone rang. Humming to herself she answered the phone. "Hello?" She asked. A hurried voice could be heard on the other line. "This is she." Hikari said in a confused tone. Her eyebrow was raised as she listened. "Yes, but I don't see.what?" Her expression changed quickly from confusion, to anger, then shock, & finally sadness. "If this is some prank I swear I'll." She started but was cut off by the other voice. "I." Her eyes closed as she sunk to her knees. She dropped the receiver & cried into her arms. A voice kept coming from the phone as she sobbed. "Miss Lorenz? Are you there? Miss Lorenz?" Hikaru came dashing into the room in his human form. Dog-ears were pricked up on his head as they darted from side to side. "Hikari? Hikari, what's the matter?" He picked up the receiver & put it to one dog-ear. "Hello, hello? Who is this?" He watched the crying girl at his feet with a concerned look. "No, this is her guardian, Hikaru." He said into the phone. "What happened?" He glared as he listened. His expression changed as rapidly as Hikari's. "I see.thank you for telling us. Goodbye." He hung up the phone. Hikari herself couldn't contain the sobs anymore. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the memory played out. "They're gone." Her old self sobbed into her hands on the floor. "All of them. Why didn't I go with them?" Her voice started to get louder as she cried. "I can't believe it. They just went like that." She stood & walked toward the door that Sesshoumaru, Rin, & Jaken had never passed. "I need to." She started but the comment was swallowed in tears as she ran up what sounded like stairs. Her footsteps could be heard going across the ceiling. Hikaru rubbed his head & sat down at the table. Tears ran down his cheeks. "Poor girl." He said as he grabbed a portable phone on the table & started to dial a number into it. As he put the phone to his head the image faded. "Hello?" Was all that could be heard in the final haze. The gray was swept away to reveal a craggy rock wall. Under their feet were bones lining the dirt floor of the well. Squeezed together at the bottom were the time & space travelers. Hikari suggested letting the tiny people go before them. Shippo, Rin, Jaken, Myoga, Kirara, & Kohaku all climbed out. Ah-Un who was scrunched back against the wall was groaning. Saisei refused to fly away from Hikari's head. He nipped at Sesshoumaru's clawed fingers that were rapped around Hikari's shoulder. She finally picked him up & tossed him into the air over her head. "Calm down Saisei." She commanded sternly. He growled down at her but flew to the top. Kagome, Sango, & Hikari went next. Inuyasha jumped out & landed out in the building that surrounded the well in the future. Miroku was next to get through. Sesshoumaru jumped up after him & landed next to Inuyasha. Ah-Un managed to pull his bulk out of the well after a short time. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, & Kohaku examined their surroundings with great care. Since they had never been to 'Kagome's Time' they had no idea where they were. Inuyasha cocked an ear toward the door. "Feh. Someone's coming." He said in an irritated tone. He pressed his ears flat against his head as the door slid open. Kagome's little brother, Sota, was standing in the doorway, gasping for breath. "Kagome?!" He asked looking down on the crowd. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Sota? What's the matter?" Sota ran down the stairs. "You've been gone for almost a month! Mom was worried sick!" Kagome gasped. "No way! I was supposed to be back for a test!" Hikari put a hand on her shoulder. "Chill girl we're off. It's a holiday remember?" Kagome suddenly calmed down. "Oh, yeah. I graduated a week before I left foe the Sengoku Jidaii again. So.that means I'm in the middle of my vacation." Hikari nodded. "Me too." Kagome looked down at Sota. "Sorry, Naraku enchanted the well so that we couldn't get through to the proper time. We had to go through several different time zones to get back." Sota's eyes widened. "Really sis?! You got transported through time & space?! How come you always get the fun adventures?" He was stunned to see Sesshoumaru standing nearby. "Who's this?" He asked pointing to him. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. Rin peeked out from behind him & Jaken peeked out from behind her. "Them too." He said pointing to them. Kagome put a hand over his finger & pushed it down. "It's not polite to point. This is Sesshoumaru the Taiyoukai. That's Rin, & that's Jaken. This is Sango & Miroku, Shippo, & Kohaku. This little guy is Kirara & the big two-headed dragon is Ah-Un." She said then noticed Myoga on her shoulder. "Oh, this is Myoga." She said. Sota looked at them. "This is Sesshoumaru?!" He asked pointing again. Kagome nodded & hoped he wouldn't bring up all the comments she used to use for the youkai. "I thought he'd be more." Sota twirled a finger in the air in thought. "I don't know, I just pictured him different. Where are the dog ears?" He asked pointing to his head. Hikari fought down a giggle at the look on Sesshoumaru's face. "I thought you said that Sesshoumaru & Inuyasha were brothers? Where are his ears?" Hikari could barely hold it down, her cheeks started to rosy. Kagome sweat dropped. "Well, his ears are different because he's a full blooded youkai." Sota examined the demon for another minute. "But I thought you said that he was a." Kagome grabbed his shoulder & pushed him toward the door. "No more questions. I'm coming to get some stuff to repack. Then we're going to Hikari's so she can pack. Then we're leaving again." Kagome turned at the door. "Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Shippo. Some things that you may see may be frightening but everything is essentially harmless. Just stay close & don't wander off." She warned before they reached the door. They all raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. When they emerged into a sunny day they understood what she meant about frightening. The place was swarming with humans & large mechanical beasts that they were riding in. The beasts roared as they clattered down the long Black River. Miroku pulled out a slip of paper with writing on it. "Those demons have devoured humans!" He said ready to flip the slip at the cars. Kagome grabbed his arm. "Miroku, no! Those are cars! They're man-made & we use them to ride in to get from place to place. They're not demons, just big hunks of metal that move." She pulled her hand away & led the way again to her house. Hikari could barely hold the laughter in. "A palace." Sango breathed when she saw Kagome's home. Kagome smiled at her. "No, this is the normal size for houses." Kagome pointed to the houses that lay across the street from them. Sango's eyes widened. "I see." She said watching the cars go by. The day still seemed to be around noon. Kagome put her hand on the door & turned again to look at everyone. Sighing she opened the door & turned back to see what lay beyond. Her Grandpa & Mother were sitting at a table with their heads bent in worry. When the door opened Sota walked in ahead of Kagome with a sour expression. "Found her." He said pointing over his shoulder. Kagome's mother raised her head, her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her daughter then the group outside. "Kagome, where have you been?" She asked in a worried tone. Kagome stepped inside & took off her shoes. "Sorry mom, we were sent down the well by Naraku. He cast a spell on it & we kept landing in alternate dimensions, so we lost track of time." The others waited out side the door. Kagome's mother looked at them. "Who are all these people? I know Inuyasha but who are the rest?" Kagome looked back at them. "Mom, this is Hikari Oukami from Crossroads High, She fell down the well too. This is Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's brother. Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Myoga, Rin, Ah-Un, & Kirara. Oh, & Jaken." Kagome pointed out each of the people in turn. "They're friends from the Sengoku Jidaii. Sorry, but I just came home to pack again. Then we're going to Hikari's house to pack her stuff, then back here to leave again." Kagome walked over to the stairs. "I'll be right back down." She called to her friends in the door. They all stood stock still as the three human relatives of Kagome walked toward them. "So, you're the famous Hikari Oukami?" Her mother asked. Hikari felt embarrassed. "I'm not exactly famous.but yeah I am her." Her mother inspected her for some time. "I hope you aren't influencing my daughter with your bad habits." She said. Hikari scratched her chin. "Bad habits." She mumbled thoughtfully. "You're fighting during school. There was a tale of you beating up an innocent girl before you left. The police said that there was only a man at your house that said that no such girl lived at your house but a Miss Kayla Lorenz." Hikari remembered now. "Actually that girl attacked me. I was acting in self-defense, like Kagome. I'm not giving her any bad habits, she learned how to fight before we even met. Oh, & that was Hikaru, my youkai dog." Kagome's mom looked stunned. "Are you saying that my daughter is a delinquent like you?" Hikari shook her head. "No, just that the only thing I've ever done is protect myself. It's the girls that cry about getting hurt when I beat them. I don't know why they show up." Hikari shrugged. She was not the least bit annoyed with this conversation. "What was it like to travel through time? Are you really a good fighter like everyone says? Sango, you're a demon slayer right? So are you Kohaku?" Sota went on, wanting to know everything. Hikari smiled at him. He sure was jealous of Kagome. Sesshoumaru had grown agitated with the woman during the questioning of Hikari. Who was she to ask such questions of the girl? For her information Hikari was a good girl & was telling the truth! He could hear Hikari in his head though, warning him not to cause a scene & that she was fine with the questioning if it made her trust them. He settled down & put his arm back around her shoulder. Kagome's mom noticed & watched the two for some time to Sesshoumaru's great dislike. Saisei was uncomfortable with the arm too. He had been flying around over their heads when the arm had landed in his spot. He chirped an angry warning to them from above as he landed. Sesshoumaru & Hikari ignored him. When he landed, everyone in the room was staring. "What is that?" Sota asked pointing to the dragon. Hikari reached up & picked him up from her head. "Him? This is Saisei. He's my dragon that's a reincarnation of this guy that I uh.fought once. Rin's got one too. His name is Shiro & he's a direct copy of me. They say that he can feel everything that I do & mimics my feelings." They all studied the dragon. "It is remarkable to see the White & Black Dragon Clans are truly not dead." Said Grandpa from his seat at the table. Hikari nodded. "I thought you might be able to tell what I was." She said with a grin. He nodded sagely. "There are few who can see the aura of a girl with powers like yours anymore. I suppose that everyone in the Sengoku Jidaii can see your aura that you put off." He said. Hikari shook her head. "Nope, I think only people like Kagome, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Kikyo, Naraku, Kagura & all them can see it. You know only people with the power to see aura's." She tried to explain it but it was complicated to put into words that they would understand. "So, you're a warrior descendant? I guess that makes sense." Kagome's mother said. Steps issued through the ceiling. Kagome was almost done. "Actually I'm a Goddess reborn. I am Goddess Protector, meaning that I am a Goddess sworn to defend someone who is important to the future. My powers were kinda crazy in this time because the one I was supposed to protect was not nearby. She was in the Sengoku Jidaii. Little Rin. That explains why I would lose control sometimes during a battle." Hikari lifted her hands & looked at them. "You have this crazy-mad power that you can only use when protecting someone important to the future?" Sota asked. Hikari nodded. Kagome came down the steps with Buyo in her arms. "Sota stop leaving open candy bars on your desk. You're leaving out fair game for Buyo & he's fat enough already. I don't know how many he ate & licked on but you better check because there are torn up wrappers all over your room." Sota panicked & ran up the stairs with a wave to Inuyasha & the others. "Come back to visit soon. I want to show you my room." They all waved back to the cheerful boy. Then turning they left the house behind & headed for Hikari's. ............................................................................ ............................................................................ ........
Sorry got to cut it again. Too big for this site.