AN:
If you were wondering.. I just made up Asami.. so far as I know there are no characters named Asami in Inuyasha.. and hm.. can you guess why she has funny ears?
And this is, for all useful purposes (or useless, whichever you prefer) an Inu/Kag fic.
…
She landed on the bottom of the well with a thump. What the heck?!
Kagome looked up. This was definitely not the Sengoku Jidai. There was no clear blue sky, no Shippou yelling her name… just the roof of the building the well was in. Confused (and a little shaken by the landing), Kagome climbed back up the ladder. Why didn't it work?
She looked down at the bottom of the well. It looked normal, just the same old hard dirt floor with the random bones. Maybe if she tried again… and again, and again. But for each try all she got was another hard landing. That, and more dust and dirt all over her. Finally, covered in dust, she climbed back up a final time, a single tear rolling its way down her cheek. Inu.. Inuyasha.. I can't get through! Feeling defeated, she walked slowly back to the house, and went to her room. The backpack slid to the floor, and she sat on her bed and looked out the window. Tonight was a new moon. The night when Inuyasha turned human. And she wouldn't be there to see him… or protect him.
Not that he'd like it if you said so, she muttered silently. Inuyasha's such a jerk, he'd probably get himself killed before I could even stop him from fighting. Even though he knows he's weaker as a human. He'd still rather fight, no matter the cost. Oh.. that Inuyasha!… Inuyasha.. I'm sorry. I failed.
Another tear rolled down her cheek, and another. If Inuyasha got hurt.. it would be all her fault. Because she couldn't make it through the well. WHY?!
As the tears trickled slowly, Kagome finally fell asleep.
…
Sango stole a glance at Miroku. He didn't seem too troubled, but Sango worried. "Where is Kagome?" she wondered aloud. It wasn't like her to be late, and, okay, so it was only a few hours. But still, Kagome so rarely came this late at night, usually in the middle of the day… "Where's Inuyasha?"
"Oh, he's probably off at the bone-eater's well, waiting for Kagome." Miroku stared into the fire. "Along with Shippou. Don't worry, Sango. She's probably just had a little delay getting here. Besides, now that the two of them are over at the well.. it looks like it's just me and you here." He edged a little closer and attempted to discretely reach a hand towards her…
And was stopped by a bundle of fur.
"You forgot Kirara." Sango smirked at him, and picked up the little cat demon. "Miroku shouldn't forget you, should he?" With another smirk at Miroku, Sango put Kirara back down, stood up and announced, "I'm going over to the well to see what's keeping them." Without waiting for a reply, she walked in the general direction of the well.
Miroku looked at Kirara, who blinked back at him. "Why am I always this misunderstood?" He shook his head. "Ah well."
Sango, who had stopped out of sight of the fire but within earshot, muffled a laugh with her sleeve. Miroku.. he never changes. And neither, apparently, did Shippou or Inuyasha. The two were still moping about the well, Shippou perching anxiously at the edge of the well, Inuyasha sitting up in a tree.
"Still waiting? You that concerned for Kagome?" she called up at him with a barely concealed smirk.
"Feh! I'm not concerned. Just didn't want the brat to get in trouble and fall down the well, is all"
"Hey!" Shippou jumped around and glared at Inuyasha… and fell down the well.
Inuyasha burst into laughter and Sango just barely covered her laughs. Peering down into the well, she saw the kitsune standing at the bottom of the well and shaking his tiny fist. "Inuyasha!! That wasn't funny!"
"Whatever you say, kid."
Sango sighed, and watched the kitsune pop into a little bee, and buzz up the well. And pop back again to his little kitsune shape. "If only Kagome were here.." muttered Shippou. "I miss Kagome!"
Sango petted his furry little head. "We all miss Kagome. I wonder why she's taking so long. She did say she'd be coming back today, right?"
"Yes." Was the sad reply.
Sango glanced at Inuyasha. He was still sitting up in the tree, examining his claws and looking very bored. Where is Kagome? It was definitely strange that she was late. Sango fingered the small bottle that hung from the leather cord around her neck. The few shards in the bottled gleamed pinkly. She truly hoped no demons came tonight; Kagome was either late, or not coming, which meant they couldn't count on her purifying arrows and miko ability to see shards. Inuyasha was fully human, which meant they couldn't count on the extraodinary speed and strength he had as a hanyou. Miroku.. well, Naraku's poisonous insects showed up just about every time he tried to use his Wind Tunnel, so unless it was a demon that Miroku could use his spells against, there was really nothing he could do. And chances were, if any demons did come, then Inuyasha would be the first to attack or be attacked. Always rushing head-first into battle. Men! Why do they always act first and think later? She sighed and shook her head.
"What is it, Sango? Is something bothering you?" Shippou looked worriedly up into Sango's face.
"No, it's nothing, Shippou." I just wish Kagome would hurry up and come.
…
It was Saturday. And Kagome had nothing to do. Well, unless you counted catching up on all the homework and studying she had to do. But she'd already done a lot, and she couldn't think anymore. That, and she'd tried jumping down the well a few times already. So she really didn't have anything to do. Was something wrong? Had her miko powers failed her? Why couldn't she get through; couldn't go to the Sengoku Jidai.
I hope this isn't permanent! She glanced back at the shrine, and walked down the street. Maybe if she went for a little walk her head would clear up. And maybe she would think of the reason why she couldn't get to the Sengoku Jidai.
Asami's voice broke through her thoughts. "Hey Kagome!" She looked up to see the girl waving madly at her from the park nearby. "Come join us!"
Asami was with Houjo, another student from school, and an older woman.
"This is Hikari, my foster sister. And this is my foster mother, Tomoyo Morimoto."
Kagome bowed. "Nice to meet you, Morimoto-san." The woman smiled at her, and Kagome felt a sudden flare of power. What the-?
"It is nice to meet you too, Kagome. Houjo has been telling us all about you."
Kagome flushed a little. I hope he didn't tell them all about those phony illnesses…
"I'm glad you could were well enough this week to go to school. I see those medicines he gave you have helped." The woman smiled again, and Kagome wished she could dissappear through the floor. When she got home, she had a very long lecture to give to her grandpa. WHAT have you been telling the people at school?! "Yes, they helped." She smiled a little at Houjo, and he smiled brightly back at her.
Asami pointed at the swings. "Let's go on those!" She looked at Kagome. "Coming?" Kagome shook her head. "No, thanks, I think I'll pass. Um.. why don't you, Hikari and Houjo go? I'll watch." Asami nodded and grabbed Hikari's hand, dragging her to the swings, followed by Houjo.
Kagome turned to Asami's foster mother. "Morimoto-san.."
"Please, call me Tomoyo."
"Um.. Tomoyo-san… Asami's your foster daughter?"
"Yes." Tomoyo watched the three at the swings for a moment longer, then turned to Kagome.
"Kagome.. you know, you remind me of an ancient miko…"
Kagome giggled nervously. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
"There is an ancient legend, from the Sengoku Jidai. In it, there was an unusual miko whose name was Kagome Higurashi. She traveled around with a hanyou named Inuyasha, and a monk, a demon exterminator, and a kitsune." The woman narrowed her eyes as she studied Kagome. "You are that miko, are you not?"
"Wh –what? That's a really old legend!"
"Oh, come on. I know you are. How many mikos are named Kagome Higurashi? And while you don't hold the title of miko now, you do live at the shrine. Let me put it this way. I, too, am a miko. Does that surprise you?"
Kagome stared at her. So that's why I felt a flare of power. She's a miko. "A little. I did feel a little flare of power when we were introduced, but I wasn't sure if that was real, or if I was imagining things. I'm still a little new to this whole miko thing." What a joke. The only things she could do with her miko powers were shoot purifying arrows and locate shards of the Shikon no Tama. "How did you know that I'm a miko?"
"I told you, I am a miko myself. I can feel a little of your power, but that's because I've been trained as a miko. You have only a little training, or you would have noticed much earlier. Don't take it badly. Most mikos your age don't even know they are mikos. But those with even a little training can feel it when another miko is nearby or uses power."
"But.. I wasn't using any power."
"Oh, I know. But I told you, I have been trained. So while I'm not that strong a miko, I can still sense if someone nearby is a miko or not. You are a very powerful miko, so it wasn't so hard to sense you. I suppose you didn't know that. But then, you are the reincarnation of another very powerful miko, are you not?"
Kikyou.. she's talking about Kikyou! "Um.. yeah. How did you know that?"
Tomoyo patted her on the shoulder. "I have studied the legends during my training to be a miko. Kikyou was a very powerful miko, but you will be stronger. It is very rare for someone in this time to be so strong." She sighed. "While the power does run in my veins, and Hikari's, mine are not half as strong as yours, and Hikari has only begun her training. We have a strange family."
"Is Asami a miko too? Is that why you fostered her?"
Tomoyo laughed a little. "No, that's not why. Asami.. this may be strange to you; but it may explain some things."
"Asami is a hanyou."