Chapter Two - Swapping Stories
Sakura chuckled. "I think that's only fair. But first, I'm Sakura, Sakura Kinomoto."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kagome Higurashi. Would you like to come in while we talk?"
"I'd love to. Can I use your phone? I think I'm going to need some help with this problem. Plus, I need to call my brother."
* * *
Inuyasha perched in his favorite tree overlooking the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well was. A scowl was plastered on his face and he was imagining all the hell he would be giving a certain raven-haired miko.
"Feh! Stupid wench is always late," he grumbled.
At that moment, a smell similar to that of lightning reached his nose. Looking around, he saw a canine-like creature made of black electricity leap out of the well and speed off towards the north. The hanyou leapt up, ready to follow. He didn't even take a step before he realized that if that creature made it through the well then something could have happened to Kagome. He did an abrupt turn around and jumped into the well. What he found on the other side made his blood run cold. Half of the well shrine's front wall was in splinters. The scent of burned flesh and Kagome's blood reached his nose. A snarl escaped him. That damn thing had hurt Kagome. As he headed for the house another scent reached him. He frowned. He didn't know this new scent. It wasn't one of her normal friends and this person had a tinge of magic to their scent.
"KAGOME!"
Both Sakura and Kagome looked up at the voice. Kagome winced, but her eyes were soft.
"That would be Inuyasha," she told Sakura.
"He sounds like a pleasant person," the young sorceress said sarcastically.
"Sometimes he can be," Kagome insisted. "He's just worried for me. He probably smells my blood. Just you watch."
"Smells your blood?"
"Inuyasha. well, he isn't your average guy."
Just then, said guy burst though the kitchen door, looking around wildly. When he spotted Kagome sitting at the table he was at her side immediately, poking and prodding (gently) and sniffing out all her wounds. Coming to a quick decision after assessing her injuries, he straightened and swung her up into his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Inuyasha! What are you doing?" Kagome demanded as he carried her into the living room with Sakura trailing behind.
"You need to rest. You're hurt and I can smell how exhausted you are." He told her. "It will not help us if you collapse out of pain and exhaustion."
"I'm fine," she protested.
He leveled a flat look at her. "Feh! You may be better off than the well shrine but you are not fine. You will rest."
She sighed. Realizing that he wouldn't relent, she just let him settle her on the couch where he pinned her with a glare that clearly said she better not move before going back into the kitchen for a moment. He returned a minute later with a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth. Kneeling beside her he immediately began to clean any wounds that weren't covered by her clothes. He was so gentle, as if he was afraid she would break, that it surprised her. Inuyasha was never like this before. That's not true, she amended, remembering how he had tried to send her back to her own time permanently after a fight with Sesshoumaru a couple years ago. Fine then, he's rarely like this. Even on the new moon. After he finished he left to put the stuff away. When he was done, he passed through the living room and went upstairs. A couple minutes later she heard water running in the bathroom. Kagome blinked, the shock evident on her face.
"He's drawing a bath for me!" She said in wonder.
"He's worried about you," Sakura replied nonchalantly.
"You don't understand. Inuyasha never does anything like this for me. Sure, he gave me a hug once and sealed me here for a few days because he didn't want me to get hurt, but that was over two years ago and it was under special circumstance. And it's never happened since."
"You must be in a dangerous line of work," Came the other girl's comment. "Just what is he, anyway? The last time I checked, boys didn't have white hair, dog ears, and gold eyes."
"And claws," Kagome chirped. "You can't forget the claws. I get the idea that you're waiting for someone to arrive before you tell me your story."
Sakura nodded. "My guardians. They should be here in a couple hours."
"Well, then I think I'll wait to tell my story. That way I only have to tell it once."
"Fair enough. I have the feel."
"Bath's ready, Kagome." Inuyasha interrupted. "You smell like burnt meat."
Sakura stared at him incredulously, but Kagome just rolled her eyes. She had long since grown acquainted with Inuyasha's brand of concern. In his way, 'You smell like burnt meat.' Was the same as saying, 'A bath will help your injuries.' With a sigh, she allowed him to pick her up again to carry her to the bathroom. The other girl took a couple steps forward.
"Maybe you should let me help her once she's upstairs," she suggested.
He snarled at her and took a step away, but Kagome hit him gently on his shoulder. He turned a questioning look on her.
"It is a good idea. I appreciate your concern, Inuyasha, but I'm not letting you see me naked."
"She's a stranger."
"She helped me fight the creature. I'd probably be completely fried if not for her."
That swayed him and he reluctantly let her follow behind and left Kagome in her car as she bathed.
After her bath Kagome really did feel much better. With Sakura's help, she limped back downstairs to the living room where they found Inuyasha pacing like a caged lion. The moment he heard them enter the room, he was at her side. She figured he was so upset because he hadn't been there to protect her. So, she let him fuss over her. It was probably the only time it would ever happen. As she settled on the sofa again there was the distinct sound of a stomach growling and the hanyou blushed slightly.
Kagome laughed. "Why don't you go make up some ramen, Inuyasha? I'm kinda hungry too."
A look of relief and delight crossed his face. He disappeared into the kitchen and they could hear him as he started cooking. It didn't take long for the food to cook and the hanyou came in to fetch Kagome. Just as he set her at the table someone knocked on the back door. Snarling, Inuyasha placed himself in front of his injured friend. Whoever was at the door smelled like magic.
"Inuyasha, calm down. When was the last time you knew someone evil to knock if they wanted to attack us?" Kagome scolded. "Sakura, I think your guardians are here."
Sure enough, at the door was a tall, very attractive man with long white hair and violet eyes. On his shoulder was something that looked like a stuffed animal.
"What's going on, Sakura?" The stuffed animal asked. "You sounded worri."
The stuffed animal trailed off and both guardians' eyes widened at the same time as they stepped inside. To everyone's surprise they dropped into bows before Kagome.
"It is an honor, miko-sama," the larger of the two said. "I am Yue, guardian of the Sakura Card Mistress."
"Who?" Kagome was confused.
Sakura raised her hand. "That would be me. I think it's time to tell out stories."
"Sakura! You made a miko wait?!" The animal asked. "Where's your respect?"
"It's not like I knew, Kero-chan!" The Card Mistress protested. "She wasn't exactly forthcoming."
"She lives in a shrine!"
"Oi!" Inuyasha finally spoke up. "Can we please eat?"
Kagome chuckled. "Sure, Inuyasha. It's a good thing you made extra."
Kero immediately forgot what he was saying at the sight of food. "OhboyohboyohboyYouhaveramenSakura'sdadneverbuysramenandIloveramen!" He exclaimed in one long sentence.
Kagome, Sakura, and Yue sweat dropped as the little guardian started stuffing his face. They soon found themselves watching an eating contest between the guardian and the hanyou.
"Aren't you hungry, Yue-san?" Kagome asked.
"No, thank you, miko-sama. I do not eat."
She sweat dropped again. "Nani?!"
"Guardians do not need to eat. Keroberos simply does it because he likes food. Which is why I'm afraid that your friend will not outlast him in this little competition, miko-sama."
"First of all, my name is Kagome and second, you haven't seen Inuyasha eat."
It was then that she noticed that Sakura was missing. She could sense her on her way down the street.
"Yue-san, where did Sakura-chan go?"
"Not to worry, Kagome-sama. She merely went to her brother's house. She didn't mean to be rude but we were in the middle of a conversation and she promised she would be back in time for dinner with Touya and Yukito."
She looked at him curiously. "Are you telepathic or something?"
"Yes, actually." His face held no expression. "As are Sakura-sama, Keroberos, and you when you learn how to control your powers more."
"Can you teach me?"
He hesitated. "If you wish. Sakura-sama has asked me to fill you in on her story. It appears Touya isn't going to let her leave the house for the rest of the night." She gave him a look. "He is very protective of his younger sister. He denies it, of course, but he has a sister complex."
Kagome nodded acceptance. "Perhaps you and I could go in the other room so we can talk without being pelted by bits of half-chewed food. I think we're both going to need baths after this if we stay much longer."
They both made faces. "Could you help me into the living room, Yue- san? I was wounded in the fight with." She paused trying to remember. "I believe Sakura-chan called it Dark Thunder."
They quickly retreated to the living room where the guardian carefully set her on the couch before sitting on the floor nearby with his arms and legs folded. After a short awkward silence he told his and Sakura's story. Throughout the story he stopped every once in a while as if he expected exclamations of shock or disbelief. If he was, he was sorely disappointed because nothing surprised her when it came to the magical and supernatural. That was not the case when she told him her story from the first moment she fell down the well. Upon first meeting the guardian she had seriously doubted he knew what a facial expression was beyond the slight widening of his eyes when he realized she was a miko.
"You travel through time?!" His voice was incredulous. "Through a well?!"
Kagome giggled. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you when it first happened. At first I only kept going back because I had to help reassemble the Shikon no Tama. After a while it stopped being about the jewel and more about wanting to see my friends."
"The Shikon no Tama?" She nodded. "I remember hearing stories about that. You wouldn't happen to be the miko everyone always talked about, would you?"
Kagome nodded. "Yup. That would be me and Inuyasha is the hanyou. But enough of that. What exactly was that thing that I was fighting?"
"Sakura-sama and I believe that someone managed to make Dark Clow Cards. Apparently that someone is in the past and knows about the Bone Eater's Well."
The girl noticed the troubled look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Clow Reed never made Dark Cards. There has never been any such thing. Someone is altering history."
Her blood ran cold at his tone of voice. How would that affect her life? What will change? What has changed that they didn't know about? Most importantly, how could they stop it?
"Stop what?" Inuyasha asked as he and Kero entered the room. She realized that she had been speaking out loud.
"Oh, nothing, just some evil bastard trying to change history. I hope you guys know that you're cleaning up any mess you made in that kitchen."
"Awww! But he made most of the mess!" Kero whined.
"I did not," the hanyou growled. "You did when you turned into your true form so that you could eat more. And I still ate you into the ground, ya stuffed animal."
Kagome sweat dropped. "I hope you left some food."
"Huh? Oh yeah. There's plenty left. You're just out of ramen."
"You ate all the ramen?! There was enough to last for a couple weeks!" She shouted. "Just for that, I'm not buying any more ramen for a month."
"Nani?! B. bu." Inuyasha stuttered. "Wench, you can't do that!"
"I'm the one with the money, Dog-boy. I can do what I want with it."
"But a whole month???"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't whine, Inuyasha."
"Feh! I wasn't whining, bitch."
Yue bristled at the insult. A miko was to be respected, especially one with her power. He was about to snap as much when she gave the stupid hanyou a smile that was sickeningly sweet. To his surprise, he backed up, a look of terror on his face.
"Sit, boy."
The entire house shook and Yue's brow arched as he slammed face first into the ground. The guardians could hear the muffled curses he muttered towards the ground. Kagome turned to Yue.
"You and Kero-chan are free to stay the night here if you like, Yue- san."
"Arigato. Touya and Yukito's house really doesn't have enough room for me."
"Great! If you'll help me upstairs I'll show you to the guest room. Kero-chan can sleep down here with Inuyasha. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do about the Dark Cards."
Sakura chuckled. "I think that's only fair. But first, I'm Sakura, Sakura Kinomoto."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kagome Higurashi. Would you like to come in while we talk?"
"I'd love to. Can I use your phone? I think I'm going to need some help with this problem. Plus, I need to call my brother."
* * *
Inuyasha perched in his favorite tree overlooking the clearing where the Bone Eater's Well was. A scowl was plastered on his face and he was imagining all the hell he would be giving a certain raven-haired miko.
"Feh! Stupid wench is always late," he grumbled.
At that moment, a smell similar to that of lightning reached his nose. Looking around, he saw a canine-like creature made of black electricity leap out of the well and speed off towards the north. The hanyou leapt up, ready to follow. He didn't even take a step before he realized that if that creature made it through the well then something could have happened to Kagome. He did an abrupt turn around and jumped into the well. What he found on the other side made his blood run cold. Half of the well shrine's front wall was in splinters. The scent of burned flesh and Kagome's blood reached his nose. A snarl escaped him. That damn thing had hurt Kagome. As he headed for the house another scent reached him. He frowned. He didn't know this new scent. It wasn't one of her normal friends and this person had a tinge of magic to their scent.
"KAGOME!"
Both Sakura and Kagome looked up at the voice. Kagome winced, but her eyes were soft.
"That would be Inuyasha," she told Sakura.
"He sounds like a pleasant person," the young sorceress said sarcastically.
"Sometimes he can be," Kagome insisted. "He's just worried for me. He probably smells my blood. Just you watch."
"Smells your blood?"
"Inuyasha. well, he isn't your average guy."
Just then, said guy burst though the kitchen door, looking around wildly. When he spotted Kagome sitting at the table he was at her side immediately, poking and prodding (gently) and sniffing out all her wounds. Coming to a quick decision after assessing her injuries, he straightened and swung her up into his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise.
"Inuyasha! What are you doing?" Kagome demanded as he carried her into the living room with Sakura trailing behind.
"You need to rest. You're hurt and I can smell how exhausted you are." He told her. "It will not help us if you collapse out of pain and exhaustion."
"I'm fine," she protested.
He leveled a flat look at her. "Feh! You may be better off than the well shrine but you are not fine. You will rest."
She sighed. Realizing that he wouldn't relent, she just let him settle her on the couch where he pinned her with a glare that clearly said she better not move before going back into the kitchen for a moment. He returned a minute later with a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth. Kneeling beside her he immediately began to clean any wounds that weren't covered by her clothes. He was so gentle, as if he was afraid she would break, that it surprised her. Inuyasha was never like this before. That's not true, she amended, remembering how he had tried to send her back to her own time permanently after a fight with Sesshoumaru a couple years ago. Fine then, he's rarely like this. Even on the new moon. After he finished he left to put the stuff away. When he was done, he passed through the living room and went upstairs. A couple minutes later she heard water running in the bathroom. Kagome blinked, the shock evident on her face.
"He's drawing a bath for me!" She said in wonder.
"He's worried about you," Sakura replied nonchalantly.
"You don't understand. Inuyasha never does anything like this for me. Sure, he gave me a hug once and sealed me here for a few days because he didn't want me to get hurt, but that was over two years ago and it was under special circumstance. And it's never happened since."
"You must be in a dangerous line of work," Came the other girl's comment. "Just what is he, anyway? The last time I checked, boys didn't have white hair, dog ears, and gold eyes."
"And claws," Kagome chirped. "You can't forget the claws. I get the idea that you're waiting for someone to arrive before you tell me your story."
Sakura nodded. "My guardians. They should be here in a couple hours."
"Well, then I think I'll wait to tell my story. That way I only have to tell it once."
"Fair enough. I have the feel."
"Bath's ready, Kagome." Inuyasha interrupted. "You smell like burnt meat."
Sakura stared at him incredulously, but Kagome just rolled her eyes. She had long since grown acquainted with Inuyasha's brand of concern. In his way, 'You smell like burnt meat.' Was the same as saying, 'A bath will help your injuries.' With a sigh, she allowed him to pick her up again to carry her to the bathroom. The other girl took a couple steps forward.
"Maybe you should let me help her once she's upstairs," she suggested.
He snarled at her and took a step away, but Kagome hit him gently on his shoulder. He turned a questioning look on her.
"It is a good idea. I appreciate your concern, Inuyasha, but I'm not letting you see me naked."
"She's a stranger."
"She helped me fight the creature. I'd probably be completely fried if not for her."
That swayed him and he reluctantly let her follow behind and left Kagome in her car as she bathed.
After her bath Kagome really did feel much better. With Sakura's help, she limped back downstairs to the living room where they found Inuyasha pacing like a caged lion. The moment he heard them enter the room, he was at her side. She figured he was so upset because he hadn't been there to protect her. So, she let him fuss over her. It was probably the only time it would ever happen. As she settled on the sofa again there was the distinct sound of a stomach growling and the hanyou blushed slightly.
Kagome laughed. "Why don't you go make up some ramen, Inuyasha? I'm kinda hungry too."
A look of relief and delight crossed his face. He disappeared into the kitchen and they could hear him as he started cooking. It didn't take long for the food to cook and the hanyou came in to fetch Kagome. Just as he set her at the table someone knocked on the back door. Snarling, Inuyasha placed himself in front of his injured friend. Whoever was at the door smelled like magic.
"Inuyasha, calm down. When was the last time you knew someone evil to knock if they wanted to attack us?" Kagome scolded. "Sakura, I think your guardians are here."
Sure enough, at the door was a tall, very attractive man with long white hair and violet eyes. On his shoulder was something that looked like a stuffed animal.
"What's going on, Sakura?" The stuffed animal asked. "You sounded worri."
The stuffed animal trailed off and both guardians' eyes widened at the same time as they stepped inside. To everyone's surprise they dropped into bows before Kagome.
"It is an honor, miko-sama," the larger of the two said. "I am Yue, guardian of the Sakura Card Mistress."
"Who?" Kagome was confused.
Sakura raised her hand. "That would be me. I think it's time to tell out stories."
"Sakura! You made a miko wait?!" The animal asked. "Where's your respect?"
"It's not like I knew, Kero-chan!" The Card Mistress protested. "She wasn't exactly forthcoming."
"She lives in a shrine!"
"Oi!" Inuyasha finally spoke up. "Can we please eat?"
Kagome chuckled. "Sure, Inuyasha. It's a good thing you made extra."
Kero immediately forgot what he was saying at the sight of food. "OhboyohboyohboyYouhaveramenSakura'sdadneverbuysramenandIloveramen!" He exclaimed in one long sentence.
Kagome, Sakura, and Yue sweat dropped as the little guardian started stuffing his face. They soon found themselves watching an eating contest between the guardian and the hanyou.
"Aren't you hungry, Yue-san?" Kagome asked.
"No, thank you, miko-sama. I do not eat."
She sweat dropped again. "Nani?!"
"Guardians do not need to eat. Keroberos simply does it because he likes food. Which is why I'm afraid that your friend will not outlast him in this little competition, miko-sama."
"First of all, my name is Kagome and second, you haven't seen Inuyasha eat."
It was then that she noticed that Sakura was missing. She could sense her on her way down the street.
"Yue-san, where did Sakura-chan go?"
"Not to worry, Kagome-sama. She merely went to her brother's house. She didn't mean to be rude but we were in the middle of a conversation and she promised she would be back in time for dinner with Touya and Yukito."
She looked at him curiously. "Are you telepathic or something?"
"Yes, actually." His face held no expression. "As are Sakura-sama, Keroberos, and you when you learn how to control your powers more."
"Can you teach me?"
He hesitated. "If you wish. Sakura-sama has asked me to fill you in on her story. It appears Touya isn't going to let her leave the house for the rest of the night." She gave him a look. "He is very protective of his younger sister. He denies it, of course, but he has a sister complex."
Kagome nodded acceptance. "Perhaps you and I could go in the other room so we can talk without being pelted by bits of half-chewed food. I think we're both going to need baths after this if we stay much longer."
They both made faces. "Could you help me into the living room, Yue- san? I was wounded in the fight with." She paused trying to remember. "I believe Sakura-chan called it Dark Thunder."
They quickly retreated to the living room where the guardian carefully set her on the couch before sitting on the floor nearby with his arms and legs folded. After a short awkward silence he told his and Sakura's story. Throughout the story he stopped every once in a while as if he expected exclamations of shock or disbelief. If he was, he was sorely disappointed because nothing surprised her when it came to the magical and supernatural. That was not the case when she told him her story from the first moment she fell down the well. Upon first meeting the guardian she had seriously doubted he knew what a facial expression was beyond the slight widening of his eyes when he realized she was a miko.
"You travel through time?!" His voice was incredulous. "Through a well?!"
Kagome giggled. "Believe me, I was just as surprised as you when it first happened. At first I only kept going back because I had to help reassemble the Shikon no Tama. After a while it stopped being about the jewel and more about wanting to see my friends."
"The Shikon no Tama?" She nodded. "I remember hearing stories about that. You wouldn't happen to be the miko everyone always talked about, would you?"
Kagome nodded. "Yup. That would be me and Inuyasha is the hanyou. But enough of that. What exactly was that thing that I was fighting?"
"Sakura-sama and I believe that someone managed to make Dark Clow Cards. Apparently that someone is in the past and knows about the Bone Eater's Well."
The girl noticed the troubled look on his face. "What's wrong?"
"Clow Reed never made Dark Cards. There has never been any such thing. Someone is altering history."
Her blood ran cold at his tone of voice. How would that affect her life? What will change? What has changed that they didn't know about? Most importantly, how could they stop it?
"Stop what?" Inuyasha asked as he and Kero entered the room. She realized that she had been speaking out loud.
"Oh, nothing, just some evil bastard trying to change history. I hope you guys know that you're cleaning up any mess you made in that kitchen."
"Awww! But he made most of the mess!" Kero whined.
"I did not," the hanyou growled. "You did when you turned into your true form so that you could eat more. And I still ate you into the ground, ya stuffed animal."
Kagome sweat dropped. "I hope you left some food."
"Huh? Oh yeah. There's plenty left. You're just out of ramen."
"You ate all the ramen?! There was enough to last for a couple weeks!" She shouted. "Just for that, I'm not buying any more ramen for a month."
"Nani?! B. bu." Inuyasha stuttered. "Wench, you can't do that!"
"I'm the one with the money, Dog-boy. I can do what I want with it."
"But a whole month???"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't whine, Inuyasha."
"Feh! I wasn't whining, bitch."
Yue bristled at the insult. A miko was to be respected, especially one with her power. He was about to snap as much when she gave the stupid hanyou a smile that was sickeningly sweet. To his surprise, he backed up, a look of terror on his face.
"Sit, boy."
The entire house shook and Yue's brow arched as he slammed face first into the ground. The guardians could hear the muffled curses he muttered towards the ground. Kagome turned to Yue.
"You and Kero-chan are free to stay the night here if you like, Yue- san."
"Arigato. Touya and Yukito's house really doesn't have enough room for me."
"Great! If you'll help me upstairs I'll show you to the guest room. Kero-chan can sleep down here with Inuyasha. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do about the Dark Cards."