Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha . . .

ROCK ON!!!

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Junichiro's ears twitched as he listened to the soft scraping beside him, his eyes remaining closed as he cherished such a rare, peaceful moment.

The past couple of days had been smooth, to say the least. They had returned to the village shortly after dusk the previous day, and after much contemplation, a due vacation was decided. The Inu-tachi agreed to take a week off to gather their up their strength before going out to seek Naraku once more.

Much to Inuyasha's annoyance and dismay, Kagome returned to her era to catch up on her studies and to assure her family that she was perfectly fine. With the short vacation announced, Inuyasha had no reason to keep the miko in the past, which irritated him even further.

Lifting a lazy eyelid, the young man peered into the trees surrounding the hut in front of him, his keen eyesight quickly spotting the lounging hanyou in a tree nearby. The corners of his mouth curled in amusement as he couldn't help but notice the snappish behavior he had taken up recently, his face always curdled into a scowl.

He misses Kagome . . . that baka . . .

Glancing beside him, Junichiro's smile widened further as he watched the young fox demon attempt to sharpen his crayons on a dull rock. Shippou, he noted, was an excellent drawer, his skills developing quickly Kagome continued to produce his artistic supplies from the future.

"Need some help there?"

The kitsune's head looked up before nodding slowly, and handing Junichiro the obsidian marker, proceeded to watch in awe as the young man scraped the crayon effortlessly with his unnaturally long nails.

"Arigatou, Junichiro," the child mumbled, picking up the paper that lay beside him. "This picture is going to take forever to draw without that black pencil."

The young man said nothing, but smiled slightly as he handed Shippou back his crayon. Watching the kitsune furiously color, he asked amusedly,

"What are you drawing anyway, Shippou?"

The child paused for a moment to send the dark-haired man a mischievous grin.

"A family."

Family? Raising an eyebrow, Junichiro peered over Shippou's shoulder, only to have his eyes widen to the limit. On the sheet of paper were three people looking striking similar to Inuyasha, Kagome, and himself. The faces were roughly drawn, but each reflected the personality of the actual person.

Inuyasha, clad in his usual red clothing, was holding his sword across his body. His eyes, despite the usual serious face he wore, seemed to sparkle with a type of happy contentment. Slightly to the side and behind the hanyou stood Kagome, her long hair waving in the wind as she held an arrow and her bow. Her face held its usual smile, her eyes holding a type of warmth that the crude colors couldn't hide.

Junichiro moved his eyes slightly to the right, noticing the third face slightly behind the other two. Like the hanyou, he was bearing his own weapons as he took on a formal battle stance. His black hair somehow seemed to meld with the woman's.

But it was the eyes and mouth that caught his real attention.

Shippou had given him the same warm eyes as his mother, while the mouth was set firmly like his father. The result was an uncanny person who looked strikingly similar to both people.

Do . . . do I really look that much like them?

Junichiro was about to ask the kitsune about the picture when a rustle of leaves and grunting caught his attention.

Shippou seemed to have noticed as well, for he raised his head slightly, but he soon shook his head and returned to his drawing.

"Shippou?"

The child gazed up at him, his expression bored and knowing. "Its just Inuyasha; he's always restless whenever Kagome goes home."

"I see . . ." Junichiro looked up just in time to see Inuyasha burst forth from the dense forest.

"Is that wench back yet?" He growled impatiently, his foot tapping the ground with much annoyance.

"She said she would back at sundown, Inuyasha. The sun is barely setting," Shippou rolled his eyes, never pausing from his coloring.

Junichiro watched his future father grunt a few incoherent words before stomping off in the direction of the village, his sword swaying at his side as passersby stared at the scowling half-demon.

"Where's he going?"

"Probably going off to bother Sango or Miroku," the kitsune sighed, taking a break from his picture. "I swear, Inuyasha's going to drive me insane one of these days. I don't know why he just doesn't go up and admit his feelings for Kagome."

The young man stared into the forest, remembering the conversation he and Inuyasha had in the forest the night he went out to meet Kikyou. "It's not that easy . . ."

"Not that easy?" Shippou gazed at him with an impatient look. "He knows that you're his son! How can't it be any easier?"

Taking a deep breath, the young demon slowly nodded. "I guess . . ."

He watched Shippou crack his small knuckles before resuming his tedious work. Knowing that he couldn't spend the rest of his day like this, he bid the kitsune goodbye and headed off towards the forest.

What to do . . . what to do . . . Because Kagome was absent, Sango had taken up her chores with Kaede, a task the demon slayer hated to do. She claimed she was "a fighter, not a priestess." The old miko, however, insisted upon the young woman's help, stating that it would make her a proper demon slayer if she learned the proper medicinal herbs to heal certain wounds.

Miroku, on the other hand, was probably in the village wooing the young women. Since his fiancée was preoccupied, this was the only time his roaming hand could be set free.

Its useless going to him . . .

And then there was Inuyasha.

Hah, yeah right!

Throwing his hands up in the air, Junichiro stopped and looked around him. I'm going to go insane if I don't find something to do . . .

He jammed his hands into his pockets just as he decided to go to the stream when he felt the familiar sharpness of the Shikon shard. Pulling it out, he fiddled around with it a moment before an idea struck his head.

Can I go home like Kagome?

Glancing around him, he cautiously put the fragment back in his pocket, knowing too well that if a demon sensed the shard he'd be in major trouble. The closer the shard was to his body, the better; his miko barrier was able to repel any demons.

Sniffing the air, he began to jog east, the smell of the well directing him to it. Junichiro took in a deep breath of clean air as he gazed at the passing scenery before him, the lush trees, the bright flowers, and the full grass.

As the trees began to thin out, he saw a glimpse of the well up ahead. Speeding up a little, he sprinted towards it, smiling to himself as he noticed he wasn't breathless.

Maybe this being part demon thing isn't all that bad . . .

Looking around, he crept towards the well, his mind jumbled with thoughts.

Will I be able to go through?

Will I go to my time?

Or will I end up in Kagome's time?

Peering into the inky darkness, he wondered how such a dark, dense, old well could be used as a transporter between the two eras.

It was then he felt it.

Junichiro's eyes widened as he felt the immense aura of the well. His miko powers flared as he watched a small glimmer of light appear at the bottom of the well, blinking up at him.

Pulling out the Shikon shard, he noticed that it too began to pulsate simultaneously with the light at the bottom. Looking around once more, he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the well, his body shaking more from curiosity than fright.

Closing his eyes, he sent a silent prayer up to the heavens before allowing himself to descend into the darkness, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he felt himself fall farther and farther down.

The fragment in his hand then pulsated with enormous power, causing Junichiro to open his eyes. He stared at the bright purple shard before realizing that he had stopped falling. Glancing around, he was engulfed in a mixture of purple and black light, the aura of the strange place similar to that of the Shikon Shards.

"Junichiro . . ."

His ears twitched as he heard his name, the voice soft and quiet.

"Junichiro . . ."

Whipping around, he looked around him nervously. Who could be calling me in a place like this?!?

"Don't be afraid . . ." A second voice called out to him. This one seemed rougher and more masculine.

Gripping the shard in his hand tightly, he called out hesitantly, "Who's there?"

A bright flash of white light suddenly blinded him, and as he shielded his eyes, the shard in his hand fell.

"Oh crap!" Junichiro forced his eyes open, only to have them blinded by the light that persisted to shine in his face.

"What do you what? Who's there?"

He yelled into the light, wishing desperately that it would go away so the he could find his shard. At the sound of his words, the light dissipated, and Junichiro slowly opened his eyes to find the impossible.

His parents. His real parents.

It was Kagome and Inuyasha . . . and yet it wasn't. Inuyasha's hair was longer, his face older as his golden eyes twinkled back at him with wisdom and amusement. There were lines around his mouth, a sure result from all the scowls. He was still clad in his red haori, the Tessaiga still swinging at his side.

His mother was the one that took his breath away. Her long black hair was well past her waist, her brown eyes twinkling in happiness as she gazed at her son. She looked older, more developed, her face beautiful. She was dressed in a plain blue kimono, a strange contrast from the usual school uniform.

"Mother . . . Father?" Junichiro breathed, his eyes widening.

"Hello, son," Inuyasha's voice returned, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"How . . . how . . ."

Kagome held up a hand, her small motion causing him to stop. "We don't have time to answer your questions, Junichiro," she said quietly, her brown pools brimming with tears. "We're only here to tell you something very important."

"Nani?"

Inuyasha held out his hand, where the fallen Shikon shard lay in his palm. As Junichiro reached out to grab it, the hanyou pulled back abruptly.

"You can't go home; not yet."

Junichiro gaped at his parents, his face etching into a frown. "Why not?"

"You . . . there are things you must accomplish before you can return," Kagome explained vaguely, stepping forward to touch his shoulder. "You must promise us you will not return until you finish what you've started."

"Finish what I've started? What do you mean?" The young man was clearly confused, his heart sinking as he realized that his parents were to leave him soon.

"You'll find out in due time," she softly answered, rubbing his shoulder. Turning to the hanyou, she nodded, and his father placed the shard in his son's palm.

"Promise us you won't go home yet."

"I . . .I . ." He took one look at his mother, who despite the happiness at seeing her son, was still distressed.

"I promise," he assured, gripping the shard in his hand and nodding his head.

"That's my son," Inuyasha grinned, reaching forward and ruffling his hair affectionately. Junichiro smiled in return, and was even more surprised to find himself in his mother's embrace.

"We'll meet again soon," she promised, stepping back. "Now, go back before they find you missing."

Junichiro stared as his parents began to fade away, the bright, white light returning as he was forced to shield his eyes. He felt the familiar sensation of falling into a bottomless pit as his grip on the shard was death-like. A few moments later, he felt the ground beneath him as he softly landed.

Cracking an eye open, he realized that he was at the bottom of the well.

Reaching up, he held his head as he tried to ignore the dizziness that overcame him. As he did so, the shard fell into his lap, the promise he made to his parents coming back to him.

Mother . . . Father . . . I'll finish whatever it is I started . . . I promise . . .

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AN: I know, I know, it took me awhile to get this chapter out, and I'm sorry! it was the end of the semester, and I've been scrambling around trying to get all my work in. Plus, basketball season's taking its tollon me, and I've been fighting tooth and nail to stay awake to do homework! But now that semester is over, I'm baaaack!

see, this chapter's even a little longer!

alright, alright, I hope you guys like the developing plot. Thanks for reviewing!

(I'll be updating "Beneath the Tangles" very soon)