Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha . . .
ROCK ON!!
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Katsuko watched as the sun began to set, the purple and orange swirled sky dimming as she stared out the window. Taking a sip of her coffee, she remembered how she use to sit by this same window, waiting for her Kagome to come home . . .
"Mother? Have you seen Junichiro?"
The woman turned, gray-streaked hair glistening in the sparse light. Her brown eyes, so much like her daughter's, focused on her son's figure standing in the door way.
"Iie; is something wrong?"
Souta ran his hand through his thick hair, his cinnamon eyes worried. "Hitomi told him to return at sundown when he left this morning, but he hasn't returned; this isn't like him at all."
Mrs. Higurashi stood from her rocking chair, smoothing out her grey skirt. "Don't fret so much, dear. Maybe he went to the mall or the movies or something."
Checking his watch for the umpteenth time, her son shook his head. "Junichiro never goes to the mall or the movies; the scents and noise drive him insane. All I know is that he went for a walk in the park after breakfast, and he hasn't come home since."
Katsuko thought a moment, gazing into her coffee. Her daughter's face suddenly appeared in her cup, her brown eyes the same exact color as the dark liquid.
Kagome . . . my sweet little girl . . .
She watched as Kagome's face disappeared, only to be replaced with her grandson's. Junichiro . . .
Her daughter then appeared once more, melding with the young man. As the two's faces joined, the similarites between them were uncanny.
Junichiro . . . Kagome . . .
A thought quickly popped into her head. "Souta, does Junichiro ever go near the well?"
Her son was taken aback by the abrupt question. "Now that you mention it . . . Hitomi once told me that it was his ritual to visit the well ever year on his birthday."
"Has he ever tried going through?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, Souta shook his head. "Never; I mean, even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to get through without a--oh Kami!"
Setting her cup on a nearby coffee table, she followed her son, who rushed out of the house and across the courtyard towards the well house.
"What's the matter, Souta? Did something happen?"
Her son didn't answer, but proceeded towards the small hut. Throwing the door open, he rushed down the steps and stopped before the well.
"Souta, what's wrong?" Katsuko asked worriedly, entering the house a few moments after him.
"He's . . . he's gone . . ." The man whispered, staring into the emptiness of the well.
"Gone? Who? Junichiro?" Mrs. Higuarshi padded down the stairs to stand by her son. Peering down the well, she saw only darkness.
"Junichiro . . . he passed through the well," he murmured. Never tearing his eyes off the well, he took a shaking hand and pointed to the small object.
Frowning, Katsuko leaned over, a splash of green catching her eye. Leaning towards the side, she noticed a piece of cloth hanging from a loose nail, apparently ripped from the rest of the garment.
Reaching inside and taking it, she held it out to Souta. "It's impossible. How could he pass without--"
"He recieved one last night. In the mail."
The woman gaped at him in horror. "In the mail?! From whom?"
Souta shook his head. "We don't know; the sender's name was unfamiliar." Gazing at the piece of green material in his mother's hand, he suddenly frowned. "How did you know to ask about the well?"
Blinking, Katsuko let her arm fall slowly to her side. "Call it a premonition," she mumbled. She glanced at back at the well, her hand tightening around the cloth.
Kagome . . . Junichiro follows in your footsteps . . .
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Ugh . . .where am I?
Junichiro sat up, his head throbbing. He felt the gravel beneath him stir as he tried to stand, but fell back down. What's wrong with me . . . I'm so dizzy . . .
Rubbing his head, he looked up, startled to see the bright, blue sky instead of the aging roof of the well house. He stood, suprised to see vines hanging down the edges of the well. What the hell . . .
"Uncle? Aunt Hitomi? Obaa-san?" he called out, hoping to hear a familiar voice. The chirp of birds answered him back, along with the whisper of rushing water in a stream nea--
Wait, a stream? Since when did our shrine have a stream!?
"Hello!? Anyone there?!?"
Again, his efforts were in vain. It seemed as though there was no one around for miles. Gazing at the vines that hung on the walls, he concoted a plan.
Jumping up, he grabbed a vine, only to have it snap under his weight, causing him to fall back down into the ground with a loud thud.
"Oof!" Ugh, this is getting me no where . . .
"Hello? Is anyone down there?"
Junichiro's ears perked up to hear a voice. "Hai! I'm, I'm stuck at the bottom of the well and I can't get out! Can you help me?"
"Hold on, I will throw down a rope!"
He heard rustling overhead as a long rope cascaded down to his face. "Climb up!" the voice called.
Grabbing the rope between his clawed hands, he effortlessly climbed to the top, surprised at his own swift abilities. If I could do that, I could've gotten out of the well on my own . . .
Junichiro finally reached the top, crawling over the edge as he landed on the soft grass that surrounded the well. To his horror, instead of a well house, he found trees and green grass, with no signs of modern civilization to be seen.
"Are ye alright, child?"
Accidentally forgetting about his rescuer, he turned to come face to face with an old woman with a patch on her eye. Staring at her clothing, he was surprised to see her dressed in miko garb that was worn centuries ago.
"Um, yea, I'm fine," he mumbled, scratching his head. Now what am I suppose to do?
The old woman scrutinized him for a moment, before saying, "Have I seen ye somewhere before, child?"
Junichiro frowned, staring at the woman dead on. "Uh, I don't think so . . ."
It was the woman's turn to stare at his clothing. "Ye . . . ye aren't from around here, are ye?"
"I guess not," the young man murmured, suddenly feeling very conspicious with his clothing. He was surprised to see the woman gesture towards a certain direction. "Come; ye must be tired."
Startled, Junichiro followed the old woman, too surprised to speak.
"My name is Kaede," she said after awhile, "And I am the priestess here."
"Here? Where exactly is . . . oh . . ." a small village came into view as they passed the forest. There were small cabins scattered around, as he saw people working the the rice paddies down in a river below.
"Come," Kaede motioned, entering a small hut near a tall staircase. Pushing the mat aside, he entered a small room with a fire pit in the middle.
"What is thee's name, child?" she asked, setting the basket she held aside. She gestured him to sit as she began to start a fire.
"Junichiro," he mumbled, staring at the strange utensils she used to prepare food. Where the hell am I? I don't believe I'm in Tokyo anymore . . .
"Nice to meet you, Junich--"
"Kaede! We're back!"
Junichiro jumped at the sound of a childish voice barging into the hut, followed by a small figure rushing in.
"Hey Kaed--oh, hello," the small child blinked, noticing Junichiro in the room.
The young man stared at the child with the tail protuding from his backside, the same child he had seen in his dream the other night. Shippou . . .
"Uh, hi," he returned, unsure of what to say.
"Lady Kaede!"
Junichiro turned to see two more figures enter the hut. One was a young man, probably only a few years older than himself, dressed in ancient monk robes and holding a staff. His black hair was cropped short, save for the small ponytail at the base of his neck.
The other was a woman, her long, brown hair held back in a low ponytail. She wore a pink and green kimono, on her back a large boomerang. Her piercing brown eyes saw him faster than the man did.
"Who is this?" she asked Kaede, stepping forward.
"This is Junichiro," the old miko announced, poking the fire. "Junichiro, this Miroku and Sango."
"H--"
"For the last time, Kagome, you're not going home!"
"I'd like to see you stop me, Inuyasha!"
Junichiro's ears twitched at the sound of his parent's voices. Father . . . Mother . . .
Moments later two more people stomped into the hut, each fuming with the other. The girl's hair was long and black, rippling down her back. Her brown eyes were flashing with irritation at her companion, a tall, lean, man, with silver hair and sharp golden eyes.
The young man held his breath as the two continued to argue, oblivious to his presence. My parents . . .
"Ahem."
Inuyasha and Kagome stopped mid-argument to turn and look at Kaede. "What do you want, old woman?" The hanyou snarled, glaring at her.
"If ye two would stop fighting for a moment ye would see that we have a visitor."
Blinking, the two stopped, staring at the young man with long black hair and nearly-golden eyes. Junichiro gulped as he felt his parents' gaze on him, his ears beginning to feel hot as he began to feel flustered.
This wasn't exactly my idea of a first meeting . . .
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AN: dun dun dun! Junichiro finally meets Inuyasha and the gang! what'll happen next? What'll Inuyasha say? only time knows . . .
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