Note: I am also the author of 'Vixen'. So, if you have read that story, please don't comment on how I 'stole someone's idea'. This is basically the same idea of the story 'Vixen' except more revised and done much better. Also some major differences in the two stories.

Chapter One:

The
Fox and the Hound...
Well, More Like Wolf...

The jewel has been completed, and Naraku defeated. Kikyo's soul had been laid to rest, and Kohaku had been killed. All was not right, though. Kagome had a secret. She told not a soul in the feudal era. You see, one month ago, while she was bathing alone in a hot spring, Kouga had come. He had then raped her, and Kagome became with child. After the jewel was completed, and Naraku dead, Kagome left the feudal era with a tearful good bye. She told all her friends that she would never be back. Then, Kagome jumped into the well, and disappeared.

Kagome bore a daughter six months later. She had had her daughter early, and it hadn't been easy on her body. Kagome died two months after the birth of her daughter. Before she died, though, Kagome cast a spell over her daughter, which she named Rika, which would conceal her hanyou features and senses. They would only return to her if she ever entered the feudal era.

~ A few years later...

A girl with short hair walked out of the Higurashi house. She had turned sixteen two months ago. Her eyes were brown blue, and her hair was raven black. Her name was Rika Higurashi. Rika walked behind the well shrine. A grave sat below a sakura tree that Rika had planted when she was six. It stood above her mothers' grave. Today was the anniversary of her death. The death of Kagome Higurashi.

"The well..." A low voice whispered. Rika's eyes shot open, and she looked around. "I...is someone there...?" She asked, half hoping someone would answer. "The well...go to...the well..." The voice said again. Rika stood up and asked, "Wh...Why should I?" A tinkling laugh sounded around her and the voice answered, "Just go..." "Al...Alright...but you know...I could get in big trouble...! I'm not supposed to go in there..." Rika responded.

Rika silently walked to the front of the well house. She walked in and coughed. Dust was everywhere. Rika took one step down, and the stair creaked in protest. "What the hell am I doing? I must be crazy..." Rika said to herself, "I mean...I'm hearing voices, talking back to them, and talking to myself. You don't get much crazier than that." She continued down the steps.

The teenager stepped up to the well, and peered in. It was pitch black, and seemed endless. As scary and creepy as the well seemed though, Rika wasn't afraid. She didn't feel intimidated, or anything like that. Rika put her hands on the ledge, and looked down the well, trying to see the bottom. The old stone ledge gave way under the weight, and crumbled, falling to the bottom, taking Rika with it. Rika screamed as she plunged down the well. She stopped though, when she realized that she was floating in a purplish- aura. "Wh...What the hell...?" Rika questioned.

She softly landed on the bottom on her hands and knees. Rika panted heavily, and put her hand on her forehead. She noticed a vine growing along the side of the well. Rika stood and grabbed them. She then pulled herself out of the well.

Rika looked around and nearly fainted. Her home...wasn't anywhere around here... It was gone! Where....where was the shrine at?! The well house?! Hell, she'd even settle for that creepy, mysterious voice! Rika grabbed at the roots of her hair, and noticed something that shouldn't have been there. She ran her fingers along the fury appendages on her head. They were...wolf ears. Two wolf ears sat upon her head. TWO WOLF EARS WERE ON HER HEAD!!

The poor girl fell onto her hands and knees. A long strand of hair fell from her shoulder. Great! Now she had long hair. Rika also noticed that her senses were sharper. She could hear far better, and smell better as well.

Well, this was just great... This is what listening to voices gets you. Stuck in some freak of a place with no idea where the HELL you are, a pair of wolf ear on your head, keener senses, and long hair!!!!! NEVER LISTEN TO THOSE VOICES! THEY'RE EVIL! EVIL!!!

"Stupid voices..." Rika mumbled as blackness took her. Who can blame the poor girl for fainting?

~*~

The sound of a crackling fire filled her ears. Rika's eyes slowly fluttered open. She sat up and looked around. A boy a little older than her sat across from her, scowling. "What's your problem?" Rika demanded, angry that he was scowling at her for no apparent reason. "Tell me your name, hanyou." The boy demanded. "Why should I?! You're just sitting there, scowling at me like I did something wrong!" Rika yelled. "Tell me one thing, if you won't tell me your name! Was your mothers name Kagome Higurashi?!" He demanded.

Rika looked at him, stunned. How...How did he know her mothers' name...? He shouldn't know that... Right? "How do you know my mothers' name?" Rika asked calmly. The boy looked down, his eyebrows furrowed. He began mumbling to his self, "It...it can't be...Kagome...she would never...not with Kouga...how is this possible..."

"Wha...what are you mumbling about?" Rika asked completely confused. "Let me get this straight...you're Kagome's daughter correct?" He asked. "Yes, I already told you that!" Rika replied harshly. "And...you came out of the Bone Eaters Well, correct...?" He questioned. "Bone Eaters...Well?" Rika replied confused.

The boy sat with his legs crossed and put his arms in his sleeves. "The Bone Eaters Well is located in the center of Inuyasha's forest, close to the Goshinboku-"Rika interrupted, "Inuyasha's forest...? Goshinboku...? What are you talking about...?" "Never mind. Listen, the bone eaters well has the power to transport anyone with a shard of the Shikon no Tama through time. In this case, if you jump into the well again, it will send you to the future, your era." He explained.

"My...era...? So, you're trying to tell me...that we're in a different year...?" Rika asked. "Well, yeah. The feudal era, to be precise." He replied. "Ohhhhhhhh, boy. I must have hit my head pretty hard when I fell down that well!" Rika started laughing. The boy tilted his head, "What's so funny?" "You actually expect me to believe this load of shit?!" Rika questioned still laughing.

Her laughter slowed though, as she noticed something about this strange boy. He...had pointed ears...and a...fox tail... "Wha...What the hell are you?!" She demanded, jumping back and pointing at his tail. "I'm a demon, like you. Well, sort of. For one, I'm a fox, and you're a wolf. And two, I'm a full demon, and you're a half demon." He explained.

"I'm not a demon! How dare you call me that, fox boy! That's so rude!" Rika exclaimed. "If you're not a hanyou, then what are these?" The boy asked, tugging one of her wolf ears. "OW...! That hurt..." Rika said, rubbing her sore ear. "Sorry. Ya know, I don't think we've introduced yet. I'm Shippo." Shippo extended his hand to her. Rika slowly took it, and gave it a shake. "I'm Rika... Could you answer me one thing? What's the Shikon no Tama? I've heard of it in legends before, I think, but this couldn't be the same thing, no way." Rika asked.

"More than 60 years ago, a miko of great power named Midoriko fought more than a hundred demons in a cave. During the battle, a jewel burst from her chest, the Shikon jewel. Years later, a priestess by the name of Kikyo became guardian of the sacred jewel. She was eventually killed by a demon after the jewel by the name of Naraku. Kikyo requested that the jewel be burned with her body. Fifty years later, a fifteen year old girl came through the bone eaters well. She discovered that she had the jewel of four souls in her body. The girl also found out that she was the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo. When trying to retrieve the jewel from a demon who had stolen it, the girl fired an arrow at the demon, killing it, but unknowingly shattering the jewel as well. She promised to collect all of the shards of the jewel and put it back together again. With the help of a half dog demon, a fox cub, a priest, and a demon slayer, she did.

The Shikon no Tama, jewel of four souls is a jewel that will grant any wish one makes upon it when it is all together. When it is slit up, though, the tiniest sliver can give huge amounts of power to its user. That, my wolf friend, is a little info on the Shikon no Tama." Shippo concluded.

Rika raised an eyebrow. "You really expect me to believe that?" She questioned. "Oh, I forgot one thing. The girl that came out of the well, her name was Kagome." Shippo added. Rikas' eyes widened in surprise, and then she laughed in spite of herself. "For a second there, I thought you were talking about my mother!" Rika continued laughing. "I am, though." Shippo said seriously, "I was the fox cub that traveled with her. She even brought me candy from her era sometimes." Shippo gave a crooked smile.

"Yeah, sure. Listen, can you just tell me how to get home?" Rika pleaded, she was beginning the miss the shrine. "On one condition..." Shippo reasoned. "What's that?" Rika asked. "If I'm right about all of this, come back. If I'm not, you'll never have to see me ever again." Shippo said. "That's blackmail!" She shouted. Shippo shrugged, "Take it, or leave it." "Fine! It's not like any of this is true!" Rika yelled.

"Alright, let's go." Shippo stood up, and walked out of his hut. Rika followed suit. She looked around curiously at her surroundings, and followed silently behind him. They soon came to a clearing. An unsteady- looking, wooden well sat in the center of it. "Is that...the Bone Eaters Well...?" Rika asked uncertain. "Yeah, that's it." Shippo responded.

Rika just stood there for a good two minutes just staring at the well from behind Shippo. "Well? Are you going, or not? Jump in, already." Shippo urged. "Wha...What?! Jump in?! I could kill myself!" Rika responded unconsciously getting closer to the well. She found herself staring into the depths of the well. "Go already." Shippo said from behind her and pushed her in. "Hey! That was wasn't very nice...!" Rikas' voice faded away as she was sent back to her own time. Shippo shook his head sadly, "What a whip... Well, she is the daughter of Kouga, I can't exactly expect anymore... Now to go find that creep, and beat the shit out of him!" Shippo ran quickly towards the wolf demon den.

~Present day Era...

Rika leaned up against the well. She shakily pulled herself up. Rika looked around and saw a ladder. It looked quite old, but still sturdy. She grabbed hold of it, and pulled herself pulled herself up. When she arrived at the top, she looked around and put her legs over the well. Rika hurried out of the well house to the main shrine. "Uncle Souta!" Rika cried out her uncles' name as she spotted him a bit away. He'd been raising her ever since her grandmother had passed away, as well as her great- grandfather.

The black haired girl latched herself onto her uncle, crying. "I'm...so glad that I'm back! I'm so glad..." "Rika, where've you been?" Souta asked softly. Rika pulled back, and laughed slightly, "You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you..." "You were in the well- house, right?" Souta asked. "Well, yeah, but...not exactly..." Rika tried to explain. "Did you...go to the...Feudal era...?" Souta asked. "How...how did you know?" Rika asked confused.

"Kagome used to travel to the feudal era when she was fifteen. It was her fifteenth birthday that she first fell in the well..." Souta started explaining. "I've already heard the story...about the Shikon jewel, and how she had to collect all of the shards since she broke the jewel... There's one thing I don't know, though... Uncle Souta...what am I?" Rika whispered her question.

Souta was at a loss for words. He couldn't think of anything to say. "You're human...half anyways. But ya know that's ok, cause' all the best people are half... They turn out to be great hero's, and be remembered for a long, long time..." Souta said putting his arm around the distressed girl as he remembered his childhood hero, Inuyasha.

"They go down in history..." He repeated. Rika looked up at him. "Will you tell me...about my mother...?" She asked quietly. "Sure, squirt... Let's get something to eat first, though." Souta replied, messing up Rikas' hair.