Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, yadda yadda blahblahblah.
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* * *
Ishiyana's smile wavered as the girl continued to stare at him. She had called him by another name...did she have problems with the guy who looked like him? Trying to set her at ease, he bent to retrieve her books.
"Oh! Oh, thanks, but I can get those," Kagome stated breathlessly, bending to gather the books herself. She looked up to find him regarding her with an uncertain smile. Laughing slightly, she apologized. "I'm sorry for my reaction, it's just that yours was the last face I expected to see today." In more ways than one.
They stood, regarding each other silently for a moment. Ishiyana found himself falling into her large brown eyes. This girl is beautiful... really beautiful...
Noticing the intensity of his gaze, Kagome blushed and shook herself mentally. "Er, you said you needed help, right? Where are you trying to...um...go?"
He blinked and shook his head slightly. "Uh, yeah. I'm supposed to go to some review course today, but I'm new and I don't know where it is." He blushed. "I mean, obviously I wouldn't know where it is, but...um...I thought maybe you could show me?" He fought the urge to clap his hand over his mouth to shut himself up, feeling a wave of babble surging on the tip of his tongue. Something about this girl was making him lose his composure. What was it?
Kagome smiled reassuringly. "Of course I'll show you." She turned to head inside, but muttered under her breath: "Although nowadays, I kinda feel like a newbie myself."
"What was that?"
"Nothing. By the way, my name's Kagome."
Ishiyana turned a dazzling smile on her. "Thank you for showing me around...Kagome."
Her heart gave a sharp thump at the way he said her name. Flustered, she nodded.
"No problem."
* * *
Meanwhile, Inuyasha slumped against the well, glaring at the tree across from him. Normally, he'd wait up there, but ever since it sent a branch down on his nose he'd taken it upon himself to wait here. It wasn't that he was trying to spite the tree or anything. He was just taking precautions.
Frowning, Inuyasha let his thoughts drift to Kagome's little episode last night. Normally he'd just let it go, but something about the way she'd looked and the way she'd called it a warning ate at him. If it was a warning, what was it about? Silently he cursed himself for not asking what the dream had been about. I mean, sure, she's not exactly a psychic, he snorted, but she DOES have some miko powers. What if this was a premonition or something?
His ears twitched as he picked up the sound of sandaled feet walking towards him. Looking up, he watched Miroku calmly approach him and sit beside him.
"What seems to be the trouble, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha scowled and looked away. "Feh. Why would anything be the matter?" The monk didn't reply, so Inuyasha glared at him. "What?? If you got something to say, then say it!"
Miroku simply gave Inuyasha a small smile and looked up at the clear sky. "I was simply concerned about you. It seems a waste to have such a gloomy expression on such a fine day...but then, Kagome's not here, is she?"
A soft growl rumbled out of Inuyasha's throat. "Leave it alone, monk." He did NOT want to have another "let's-explore-Inuyasha's-feelings-for-Kagome" session.
Miroku sighed. "I don't understand why you won't tell Kagome how you feel about her. It would make things a lot easier...and she might not be so inclined to leave."
Inuyasha jumped to his feet. "I'm not telling her anything because there ain't nothing to tell! For the last time, there's nothing between Kagome and me!" He stormed off in search of a meal, leaving Miroku alone in the clearing.
Miroku shook his head. "If you say so, my friend. But whom were you trying to convince just now? You, or me?" He leaned back and took a deep, calming breath. "It truly is too nice a day to be in a bad mood. Perhaps I'll just sit here and enjoy it."
Just then, Sango appeared and disappeared in the forest. She was headed in the direction of the stream, which meant that she might be headed for a bath...
"On the other hand, perhaps I'd enjoy the day better by the stream. There should be...lush landscapes nearby."
He wandered off in that general direction.
In the rice fields nearby, several farmers raised their heads at the sound of a shriek and a thud that echoed for minutes. Unconcerned, they shrugged and continued to work.
* * *
At the end of the day, Kagome walked slowly back to the family shrine. She was still confused over the mystery of this "Ishiyana" person. Sure, he looked and sounded like Inuyasha, but was that really enough evidence to prove that he was the guy's reincarnation? She shook her head. No, no that couldn't be it. It must just be a remarkable likeness.
"Hey! Kagome!"
She turned to see the object of her thoughts running to catch up with her. She gave a tiny smile and waved to him.
"Hey, Ishiyana. Um, what's up?"
He stopped beside her and smiled. "Actually, the teacher sent me after you. He said that you tended to fall behind and asked me to help you out...or rather, suggested that we could help each other catch up."
Kagome blushed at the reminder that her scores weren't what they used to be. Hey, for a girl who's almost always in an era that has nothing but HISTORY, I'm doing pretty darn well!
"Well, actually," she started, "I really don't have the time for a...study party. I'm supposed to...um...leave for a trip tonight. I'll be gone for a while."
He raised his eyebrows. "A trip? This close to exams?" he asked incredulously.
She nodded, looking away. "That happens a lot." She started walking, a little surprised when he fell into step beside her. Looking up at his face, she watched him stare thoughtfully into the distance.
"Well," he started slowly. He turned and smiled suddenly. "If you're going on a trip, then you should definitely have a 'study party' before you go. You know, to make sure you know what's going on." A little color seeped into his cheeks. "And, actually, I could use the studying myself. The only subject I seem to be any good at is history."
She looked sharply at him. Catching her look, he shrugged. "No special reason...I just seem to have a knack for it. When I learn history it's almost like..." He trailed off and blushed.
"A-almost like what?" Kagome stammered softly.
"...Almost like I've been there."
She stumbled at the sound of that. With quick reflexes, he reached out and caught her against him. She froze, looking up at him, and blushed. What's the matter with me?! She pulled away, not noticing the similar blush on his cheeks.
"Um, I guess we could study tonight, but only for a little while. I can't be late when I head to my...trip." She didn't look at him as she said it.
He scratched the back of his head and smiled. Now I can find out what intrigues me about her. "Lead the way."
As they walked, Ishiyana noticed something glimmering in the gutter. Raising an eyebrow, he reached down and picked up what looked like a shard of something. When Kagome looked over at him, though, he merely smiled and slipped it into his back pocket.
* * *
Night fell as they studied. Kagome hated to admit it, but she really was behind. Still, Ishiyana's clever study methods were already helping.
"See, what I like to do for math," he started, "is to try and give it a little meaning. If it's geometry, I try and take those shapes and make them useful, like a circle is a pizza, or a triangle is a steeple, and stuff like that."
"Huh! I never would've thought of that!" she exclaimed. Ishiyana smiled and rested his chin on his palm as she tried the next problem. Her hair fell slightly in front of her face, and she gently bit her lip as she pushed it back. He couldn't help but chuckle at her.
What an innocent expression. She seems so angelic… His grin widened as she abruptly growled and furiously erased an error. Then again, maybe not.
"Um, Kagome, slow down when you tackle those." She blinked up at him, a confused expression on her face. Ishiyana smiled at her. "You're making mistakes because you're rushing. If you slow down, I bet you'll get them right."
"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "If I recall, you aren't too great at math either. Maybe if you didn't take two years to solve each problem, you'd do better!"
He laughed. "Maybe I don't get them all done, but the ones I do are right!" He stuck his tongue out at her. "Better some questions done and all right, than all done and none right, Kagome."
She threw a pillow at him.
Laughing, he tucked the pillow under his chin and leaned on it. "Just try it. I'm sure you'll still get it done faster than I would."
Chuckling, Kagome set her mind to the problem. Her eyes darted up to him every now and then, but he just kept the same, easygoing smile on his face. It's so weird to see Inuyasha's face smile like that. Man, I wish the real guy would be a little friendlier!
Ishiyana started daydreaming as she worked on the problem. I've never gotten along with a girl so quickly before. Maybe this new town will be the best thing that's ever happened to me. He stared at Kagome. If it has girls as nice as her…I really think I'm going to like it here.
"Say, Kagome…"
"Hmm?"
"Are you really as sick as the kids at school say?"
She stilled, slowly looking up at him. His face lacked the suspicion she was looking for. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you just don't look like the sick type." He tilted his head and smiled serenely. "Heh, you look like nothing bad could ever happen to you. And really…" He blushed, twiddling his thumbs. "I think it would be a real shame if anything bad did happen to you."
She smiled uneasily. Man, wouldn't he be surprised to know that I fight demons all the time! "Well, bad things always happen, you know."
"Yeah," he conceded, "but you just seem like the type that should be…I don't know… protected from anything that would upset you or put you in danger." He trailed off and blushed, then put a hand behind his head and laughed.
"Wow, that sounded really chauvinistic, didn't it?"
She laughed. "Yes, yes it did." Shaking her head, she shook her pencil at him. "Now shut up and let me work."
"Yes ma'am."
After a few minutes of working, she surprisingly came up with the correct answer. "Hey wow! Thanks, Ishiyana!" She grinned at him. "I guess slow and steady really does work sometimes."
Her smile made him smile sheepishly, but then she caught sight of the clock. It was almost ten! Oh gods, Inuyasha's going to kill me!
"Ishiyana, it's been great, but I really gotta go!" She started throwing things haphazardly into her bookbag. "You know how to get home, right? My mom should be able to tell you."
He just watched her. "Uh, Kagome..."
She jumped to her feet and ran for the door. "Thanks a bunch!"
Ishiyana sat there, stunned, for a moment. Then, taking a look at the table, he realized something.
"Kagome! You took my books!"
He jumped to his feet and followed her outside. He just barely caught sight of her yellow backpack as it disappeared into a smaller building. Following, he burst into a room with a well inside it.
A room that...was...empty?
Completely baffled, he walked over to the well and looked in. What the...where did she go? He was so confused that he barely noticed when his hand slipped and he started to fall in...
* * *
"Kagome, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???"
She winced at the roar awaiting her as she touched down. Inuyasha yanked her furiously out of the well.
"I was studying, and I lost track of time. I still made it back tonight, didn't I?"
"Barely," he spat at her. He wasn't about to tell her, but the last few hours had been absolutely horrible. Knowing that she was coming back soon but not knowing WHEN had nearly driven him out of his mind. "I was just about to come get your stupid bu—"
"Uh...hello?"
The strange scent more than the strange voice stopped Inuyasha's tirade in its tracks. It smelled familiar. Waaaaaaaaaay too familiar. Letting go of Kagome, who'd frozen, he leaned over and peered into the well. Some...guy... with black hair and shadows over his face was looking up at him. Growling, Inuyasha reached in and jerked the boy roughly out of the well. Is this who made Kagome late??
Gripping the startled boy by the collar, Inuyasha pushed his face within inches of the boy's.
"Who the hell are you?!" he snarled, then felt his anger melt away into shock as light finally fell across the boy's face. Both froze and stared.
He's...ME?!?