His Golden Eyes
Standard Disclaimers Apply
RK/Inuyasha crossover. Kaoru and Kenshin fall into a well, meet Kagome and embark on an adventure spanning both the past and the future. Kenshin finds out why he has eyes that turn gold, more strength than a man five times his size and god-speed. KBK
Note: I'm assuming that you guys are already familiar with the anime Inuyasha, right?
Pairings: Kenshin/Battousai/Kaoru but I'm not sure if it's Inuyasha/Kagome or Sesshoumaru/Kagome…possibly a love triangle.
Setting: This is set after Enishi's Jinchuu. Kaoru already knows about Tomoe and Kenshin has already rescued her. The only difference is that Kenshin still hasn't told Kaoru about his feelings for her. Kaoru is nineteen by this time. Also, about Kenshin's body deteriorating and stuff…I choose to ignore that and Kenshin is healthy in this fic and will remain so until I decide otherwise. (grins)
Kagome will be seventeen and has been looking for the Shikon shards for two years already. (I will not really be following the chronological events of the anime Inuyasha.)
A/N: Humor/Romance/Adventure/Angst fic. Mostly it will revolve around humor with little moments of 'seriousness' here and there. I just wanted to write an Inuyasha fic. Ha, finally I can write about Sesshoumaru! I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the anime Inuyasha so your comments on this will be really helpful. Suggestions are also very much welcome.
.
Chapter One:
The seasons had slipped by once more and another year has passed. Kaoru was already nineteen, pretty soon she would be twenty; an age considered a little too old to still remain unmarried. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, wincing as her fingers caught in the tangled ebony mass.
"I bet Tomoe's hair never tangled," she muttered, once more getting caught up in melancholia due to her musings about Kenshin's departed wife.
Why would Kenshin want a little girl who acted like a boy when he'd already fallen for the epitome of everything a woman strove to be? Tomoe was beautiful, educated, elegant and graceful…she was no violent tomboy.
She was a lady.
Kaoru was…not.
Kaoru reached over to grasp the box where she kept most of her ribbons and hair accessories and took out an ivory comb that used to belong to her mother.
She studied the feminine object.
It seemed so out of place in her calloused hands.
"Kaoru-dono?"
It was Kenshin, of course. No one else suffixed her name with a –dono except him. She hadn't heard him approach but that was usual for the redhead who had been used to using stealth so much that it bled into his everyday actions unconsciously. She debated on whether she could get away with pretending she was still asleep so she wouldn't have to answer him. She'd been trying to avoid him lately, looking at him made her all the more conscious of the fact that he was never going to be hers.
I love you Kenshin…your past doesn't matter to me…Kaoru-dono…
Don't you even love me just a little bit?
Gomen nasai Kaoru-dono…
"Kaoru-dono?" this time the voice had a more worried tinge instead of the usual respectful affection.
"Hai Kenshin?" she asked finally.
"Breakfast is ready Kaoru-dono."
"Can you put mine away? I will eat later on…"
There was a surprised pause before, Kenshin asked. "Daijoubu des ka?"
"I'm fine Kenshin. I'll just eat a little later on after you guys finish."
"I'll wait for you then."
"Go ahead and eat Kenshin. You don't have to wait for me."
There was nothing the redhead Rurouni could do short of insisting that he get his way so after a brief hesitation, he sighed. "Alright."
.
It was later that morning and Yahiko was practicing to improve the strength and velocity of his swings. Kenshin listened to the familiar sound of Yahiko counting-off each downward stroke as he lifted his arms and brought the bokken down with surprising grace and power. He was growing up and Kenshin was sure that Kaoru was very proud of her young student. He remembered them sitting together once as they had watched Yahiko. Kaoru's eyes had been uncharacteristically misty as she studied the boy.
"He's growing up so fast, neh Kenshin? Pretty soon he'll be so much taller than me and I won't have anything else to teach him…"
"You should be proud Kaoru-dono. Yahiko is improving because of your guidance."
Kaoru had smiled at him then.
Kenshin realized that it had been a long time since Kaoru had smiled at him. He frowned down at the white piece of cloth he was laundering. Come to think of it, he had been noticing Kaoru's distant behavior towards everyone as of late. It wasn't exactly noticeable. She was still friendly and outgoing but lately, she hasn't been giving him any special attention at all!
Wasn't that what he wanted?
Isn't that why he had spurned her confession of love?
Kenshin's fingers tightened on the poor, abused cloth.
Was Kaoru-dono…did Kaoru-dono…was she interested in someone else?
There was a distinct ripping sound.
"Oro!" Kenshin looked down guiltily at the torn fabric. Oh no…he would have to make sure and repair the rip before Kaoru-dono noticed or else he'd have to face the wrath of the Tanuki. Visions of a Kaoru/Tanuki hybrid wielding a bokken shrieking 'Do you have any idea how much clothing costs? We're not RICH Kenshin no baka! Why'd you have to go ruin a perfectly good pair of pants?' danced through his mind.
He could practically feel the wooden sword coming down upon his head.
"Oro!"
From the corner of his eye, Kenshin spotted a small familiar figure heading towards the gate.
"Kaoru-dono!" he called out before he could stop himself. He saw her freeze, wince slightly before stopping altogether to turn and stare at him, giving him one of her small smiles.
"Hai Kenshin?"
"Where are you going?" he asked as he went over to her, wiping his soapy hands on the apron he had on to protect his clothes.
"I'm going to the shrine…" Kaoru said with a shrug. She was taking a page out of Aoshi Shinomori's Guide To Life.
What to do when life is bothering you?
Get as far away from everyone (preferably, go to a temple) and brood.
Kenshin glanced longingly at the laundry he had yet to finish and then back at Kaoru who was eyeing him rather strangely. It was really no contest. "Sessha would love to accompany you, Kaoru-dono."
"It's not really necessary Kenshin."
"Sessha insists," he said in that affably implacable manner of his.
He was smiling at her and his voice was gentle but Kaoru knew the only way she could get through those gates was with him walking right by her side. "Alright Kenshin, thank you." She vaguely heard Kenshin telling her he wouldn't only take a while to put the laundry and apron away. Kaoru watched him walk away and wondered if she should just cancel today's trip.
Her goal was to get away from the dojo and perhaps talk with the kindly old miko over at the temple. She toyed with the idea for a while but decided it wouldn't be right to bail on Kenshin. Shed avoided him as much as she could these past few days without being too blatant about it. Canceling a trip to town just when he'd said he'd go with her would probably make him worried that she was hiding something from him…it would almost most likely hurt his feelings.
Whether Kenshin loved her or not, there was no denying that Kenshin cared for her and Kaoru didn't want to hurt him unnecessarily.
Kaoru understood Kenshin's over protective attitude. She actually appreciated it because it spoke volumes of exactly how much he cared about her. He was scared that if he turned away from her for even a second, something bad was going to happen.
Not that I really blame the guy. I'm always being used against Kenshin in some way. It must get tiring after a while.
Kaoru sighed.
"I'm ready for the trip Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with a smile as he waved a hand over her face to get her attention. "Daijoubu? What were you thinking about?"
"Oh nothing…just stuff…"
"Trip? Where are you guys going?" Yahiko asked, lowering the bokken he was practicing with and rushing over to the two eagerly. He had been stuck inside the dojo for weeks with the occasional visit to the Akabeko to see Tsubame. He longed for something more to do and a little change of scenery was always pleasant.
"Nowhere special Yahiko, Kenshin and I will just be visiting the shrine at the outskirts of town."
"Why so far?" Yahiko cocked his head to the side. "There's a perfectly good shrine within the town limits Busu."
Kaoru's eyebrows twitched and her fingers longed to wrap themselves around the handle of her bokken in preparation of dishing out some serious hurting towards Yahiko but she refrained from clobbering him. Kaoru reminded herself that she was already nineteen and she needed to behave more like a proper lady if Kenshin was ever to see her as something more than just a kid sister. "If you like that shrine so much, then you go visit it. I prefer the other one."
Yahiko rolled his eyes.
"See you later Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru couldn't resist calling over her shoulder as she and Kenshin went out into the busy Tokyo streets.
"Don't call me CHAN you BUSU!"
Kaoru snickered in amusement.
Kenshin listened as he matched his strides with hers. It had definitely been a long time since he'd heard the sound of her laughter.
He found that he had missed it terribly.
.
Seventeen year-old Kagome Higurashi sighed as she stared into the dark recesses of the Bone Eater's Well. It has been two years since that fateful day when she had been dragged inside the well by a centipede demon only to emerge on the other side, 500 hundred years into the past.
Two years, but it felt like a lifetime.
So much has changed and Kagome wasn't really so sure if it was all for the better.
It was getting harder and harder for her to balance her life between the two eras. Her social life was suffering a tremendous strain and so was her schooling. Kagome had to work extra hard to keep up with all the lessons in the class that she had been missing due to her responsibility here in Sengoku Jidai. She barely saw her friends anymore and there were times she wanted to just close her eyes and pretend that the well was not a bridge into the past.
She wanted to pretend that she was just a normal girl who got up in the morning to go to school and then went back home to spend time with her family. She missed spending time with her mom, her grandpa and Souta. She wished she didn't know anything about hanyou, miko, youkai or the Shikon no Tama.
Unfortunately, it was not to be though for Kagome was born with a responsibility. She was the chosen caretaker of the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls. Because of this dubious honor, youkai were constantly after her and the shards she carried and her life was constantly put in danger.
She had had to learn to be tougher, more agile, quicker.
She could move at a moment's notice, dodging perceived attacks and threats to her person.
She had gone through different changes and her mental and emotional conditioning was altered from the normal psyche expected of normal teenage girls from the 21st century.
She was an oddity in her own time but she didn't exactly fit well as in this one either.
She was too modern here, her ideas unconventional. In these times, girls who were three years younger than her were already married and had babies of their own.
To make matters worse, she was in love with someone who did not even seem to feel anything except a slight fondness for her, if even that. Inuyasha protected her, sure…but he had a past in which she could never touch him. He belonged to someone else, to the woman of his past and he would never be hers until he was freed from the shackles of what had happened before.
He was in love with Kikyo and to him Kagome would always be just a reincarnation of his old love.
And, as reincarnations went, she wasn't really even a good one.
Inuyasha always compared her to Kikyo and Kagome found that she was always lacking.
"Kikyo's hair is prettier, not like mine. She was very good in archery and I'm not even close to mastering it…I don't even know how to really control my powers yet and I've been trying for two years…" Kagome sighed and tucked a stray strand of dark black hair behind her ear. "But who said I have to live up to Kikyo? I'm not her. I'm not Kikyo, I'm Kagome and we may share the same soul…but I'm different. I'm Kagome…"
To Inuyasha, she was just a shard detector, perhaps a friend…but nothing more.
"No one understand me…Sango tries but she's not in the same position as I am…it's hard…" Kagome felt guilty for her thoughts. What was she whining about? Compared to the hardships her other friends; Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha and Shippo had gone through; her problems were superficial and shallow.
Still…it pained her and it was getting to be burdensome to carry the load alone. Everyone else had their own troubles to carry; she didn't want to spread more misery among their little group.
She always tried to be happy; to smile and lift everyone's spirits but Kagome was afraid that sooner or later, she would burn herself out.
If only she could talk to someone who could understand her better…but there was no one else to talk to.
She blinked…did the well just glow?
Nah…it couldn't be.
"Hey Bitch, what the hell are you doing standing around there for anyway? If you don't wanna go home then come back here and let's go back to the campsite, we still have to find the shards!"
Kagome sighed, sending her eyes heavenwards in a plea for patience.
It didn't work.
"Inuyasha?"
The silver haired hanyou froze, knowing what was coming next.
"Osuwari."
He crashed down face first into the floor, the rosary around his neck pulling him to the ground as the subduing spell activated.
"Well shit…" he muttered into the ground.
"See you in a week Inuyasha!" Kagome said with a laugh as she jumped into the well that would bring her back to her family, five hundred years in the future.
.
The temple was made of wood and rather simple. It had a rather charming Zen minimalism, which Kenshin liked. He had never really been one for ostentation and this small, secluded shrine suited him just fine. It was nestled atop a small hill and a person had to climb several flights of stairs to reach the top. He noticed that Kaoru took each step with careful precision and he was reminded of the katas he sometimes performed when he wanted to relax.
It wasn't only utter stillness that opened a portal into inner peace.
Sometimes, calculated and precise motions were also vital in relaxing the mind and body enough for it to attain a synchronized harmony.
"How long have you been visiting this shrine Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked as they walked towards the temple.
"A few weeks," Kaoru said, glancing over to Kenshin. She smiled at him and touched his hand. "I never even knew this temple existed before but Kaname-san said it's been in their family for years."
"Kaname-san?"
"She's the miko of this temple. She has a daughter who is my age, Kimiko. It's odd you know, it's the tradition of the family for all their daughters to have names starting with the letter K." Kaoru laughed. "I fit right in, neh?" she said, squeezing his hand lightly before letting it go when she spotted a kindly old woman emerging from inside the temple.
"Kaoru-chan!"
"Kaname-san!"
Kenshin watched as Kaoru approached the old woman. He could hear them speaking in low tones but he didn't try to decipher the words they were exchanging. He moved forward when Kaoru motioned for him to do so and he was introduced to 'Kaname-san'.
"You have a fine young man, Kaoru-san."
Both Kenshin and Kaoru froze, coloring a deep red as each of them fervently denied her statement as they shook their heads.
"No, oh no Kenshin is…he and I are…" Kaoru sputtered.
Kenshin retreated to his all-around-handy-dandy "Oro!"
Kaname laughed and ushered them forward. "And here I thought the young people of today are supposed to be more forward? Come, come on inside and let's have tea. Did Kaoru tell you we always share tea when she comes visit me?"
Kenshin glanced over at Kaoru. No she didn't…in fact, she hadn't mentioned visiting this shrine at all. Kaoru usually told him everything that happened in her life, even something as mundane as getting a rip in her favorite kimono. Kenshin waited for her to glance at him so he could meet her eyes.
Kaoru didn't look at him.
She just smiled and told Kaname-san that she hadn't had much time to speak with Kenshin because he was busy.
Kenshin wasn't that busy.
It's because you're avoiding me…I don't like it.
Kenshin's eyes flashed gold as he studied Kaoru under the fall of his bangs.
The Rurouni part of him was hurt and worried.
The Battousai however, was irate.
.
All three of them were seated on the porch by the side of the house, overlooking the gardens. There was a large tree that looked about a thousand years old. Kaname told them that it was called the Goshinboku or the god-tree. There was also a dry well that was, strangely enough, called The Bone Eaters Well. Kaname informed them that both things were considered as important in their family but she wouldn't exactly say why, stating that it was a rather long story and better off discussed another time.
Kenshin placed his teacup back on the table and glanced once more at the Goshinboku. His Shishou had taught him to read Ki, it was an energy that all living things gave off and Kenshin could feel a strong amount of latent power coming off of the tree.
Probably residual energy gathered after a long time.
He glanced over at Kaoru who was silent as well. She had a small smile on her lips as she studied their surroundings. She seemed quite at home in this obscure little temple and the sight of her once again awed Kenshin. She was blossoming into maturity. She had always been attractive for him, but it wasn't really her looks that made Kaoru special.
It was her aura, her own brand of life-signature that flared with indomitable strength and resilience.
The first time he'd met her; the fiery flare of angry Ki had attracted him, and it had brought him into the street where she was, just in time for her to run into him. He watched her anger sparkle in her eyes and felt a shiver down his spine as the feel of her crackling Ki washed over him.
Her anger, her sorrow, her happiness; each one registered on his senses on so many different levels.
He'd never really felt Ki like hers before. It was so pure, so unsullied and so strong that all he had to do was close his eyes and he could drown in her essence. It felt clean, and strong, like icy fire that crackled but there was always the undertone of flowers. It was strange, Kenshin knew he could feel Ki and could sense and read it but his Shishou never told him how another person's Ki could affect him so much.
Truth be told, it was only Kaoru's Ki that he responded so peculiarly to.
A small draft wafted over to them, lifting strands of their hair. They heard the small tinkle of wind chimes as the wind played them with invisible fingers.
Kaname stood up, "I think I'll leave you two for a moment…there's something I need to see to for a while…"
.
Kenshin took the opportunity to speak to Kaoru. "How did you find the temple?"
"It's the strangest thing you know…I was just thinking and walking around outside of town. I had gone with Tae to buy some kimono but I didn't like any of the ones on display. Tae had to go directly to the Akabeko but I wanted to stretch my legs a bit." Kaoru had never really liked confined spaces. She liked to be able to move around and after her stint as Enishi's captive, she always found herself craving open spaces. "I took a walk in the woods and I found myself looking up at the shrine."
Kenshin waited.
"I asked Kaname-san why they would build a shrine in an area that was so hard to see. I told her I lived here all my life and I didn't even know this place existed until now."
"What did she say?"
"That's the strange part. She told me that the place is perfect for it's purpose. Thos who need to find the shrine find their way to it and those who don't have a purpose never do. I guess I'm lucky I found this place, huh?"
Kenshin smiled at her. This was nice, sitting with her without the constant presence of Yahiko and Sanosuke. Kenshin winced at the thought, scolding himself for being so selfish. Yahiko and Sano were his friends.
But they are still in the way of our quality time with Kaoru.
Kenshin frowned at the inner voice. Ever since the fight with Enishi, the two sides of him had launched a full-out war against each other. One side of him wanted to keep himself as distant from Kaoru as possible, thinking that his he was not 'worthy' of her and would only cause her trouble and pain. Another part of him demanded he stake his claim on her now, before something else untoward happens.
Kenshin sighed. He leaned more towards the Rurouni side who wanted to protect Kaoru at all cost. His presence in her life was putting her in danger but if he left, she and the others would be like sitting ducks, unprotected and waiting to be used against him.
Well then, he would always stay and protect her…but he would never taint her with his hands soaked with blood. She deserved someone better, younger. Someone who didn't have half as many battle scars and whose eyes were as bright and innocent as hers.
Yeah and then maybe you can wash the diapers of her baby when she gets MARRIED to ANOTHER MAN and gets PREGNANT with a child that is NOT OURS!
Kenshin winced at the venom in that tone: stupid Battousai persona.
He was Kenshin and the Battousai part of him was nothing more than the aggressive side of his personality. The Rurouni aspect of him was the cautious one, the guilt-ridden one…
The worrywart.
Kenshin massaged his temples. These inner dialogues he was having inside his head really must stop. It wasn't normal. It was bad enough he was a redhead with a facial scar, walking around in a pink Gi, calling himself 'this unworthy one'. Add mentally imbalanced to the list and wouldn't he be just the perfect husband?
Kaoru would probably run away screaming.
.
Kaoru was bemused as she watched Kenshin from across the table. He seemed to be mulling over something and it was very rare that she caught the redhead in a moment when he did not have his 'Rurouni' mask in place.
Why couldn't you love me, even just a little bit?
She took a sip of tea and bowed her head. She would have to get used to the idea of Kenshin as her friend and nothing more. He was not hers and would never be.
It hurt…more than anything.
Everyone else looked at her and referred to her as 'Battousai's woman' but she wasn't really. She was probably 'Battousai's friend', perhaps 'Battousai's Little sister'…but she was most certainly not Kenshin's woman. He had made it painfully clear to her that night.
I love you Kenshin…your past doesn't matter to me…Kaoru-dono…
Don't you even love me just a little bit?
Gomen nasai Kaoru-dono…
Megumi would probably get mad at her again because of her supposed whining, and Kaoru knew she was probably acting like a whiny bratty child, but she felt pain too. She was the closest to Kenshin out of all of them…but the closeness was not enough. She wanted…no…she need more and what she needed, Kenshin did not want to give her.
There was no one to talk to…
Kaoru, the Tanuki, the Tomboy, Jou-chan. Pure, unsullied, smiling, energetic…but there comes a point in time when she feels tired too and Kaoru is fast approaching that point.
I can't go on like this, pretending like everything's all right.
No one really understood how painful it was to stand in the shadow of a perfect woman, a woman the man you love had loved in the past.
Suddenly, she felt silky fingers go through her hair right before the strands unfurled down her back.
Kaoru's spine stiffened and she turned around only to find that the wind had caught her ribbon and was now gently lifting it up, playing with it like a child would.
Damn it! It was her favorite ribbon! Kaoru stood up and ran after it, muttering silent curses at the wind that seemed to mock her, gently carrying the ribbon farther and further out of her reach, bringing it back towards her for a moment before snatching it away. It hovered over the old well and Kaoru leapt to snatch it before it could fall inside and be lost to her.
Kaoru let out an exclamation of surprise; her eyes wide as her body doubled over and she teetered over the rim.
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin yelled as he ran full out over to where she was…falling over the lip of the well. Kenshin's arms went around her waist as he tried to haul her up only to be dragged in by the momentum of both their bodies.
Kenshin readied himself, aligning his body so that he was the one to take the full brunt of their impact.
It never came.
A blue light encased them and they were falling and falling into an eternity of stars.
And the, everything went black.
.
"Mom, do you think they'd be okay?"
"Well I checked them both for injuries but couldn't find any…I think they just need rest."
Kagome nodded as she looked at sleeping figure in her bed.
Once she had emerged from the Time Warp, Kagome had spotted two figures lying down at the bottom of the well. The two of them had been unconscious, a girl on top of a redheaded guy whose arms were wrapped protectively around the girl.
Kagome surmised that the girl was probably a year or so older than her self, with blue/black hair, while the young man with red hair was perhaps in his late teens to early twenties. They were wearing traditional Japanese outfits, the girl clothed in a lavender kimono embroidered with lilacs while the guy was wearing a pink gi and white hakama. Kagome had also found a blue ribbon clutched in the girl's hand while a reversed edge sword her grandpa said was called a sakabatou, was slung against the redhead's hip. After checking the two for injuries, Kagome and her family had settled them inside the house.
Currently, the girl was in Kagome's room while her companion was resting in Souta's.
"How do you think they got ended up at the bottom of the Bone Eater's Well mom?"
"I think they were probably tourists who got lost and ended up falling into the well by accident. It's already pretty dark outside…"
"Hn…why do you think they are both dressed like that? Is there a festival going on around this time that I didn't know about?"
Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. "I'm not sure. It's a good thing they are both unharmed though. They didn't have any identification with them so I couldn't call their parents and inform them about what happened. I hope they wake up soon…"
.
Kaoru blinked.
The last thing she remembered was falling down a well with Kenshin shouting after her. She sat immobile for a few seconds, afraid to move because she might aggravate whatever wound or injury she had incurred in her fall. There seemed to be none, thank goodness!
And then, she remembered that Kenshin had jumped in the well after her, holding her to him as they plunged downwards.
She cringed.
Once again Kaoru Kamiya had managed to prove just how useless and weak she was. She was nothing but a liability to Kenshin, wasn't she? She was a burden.
"I'm not good being a woman, I can't cook and I hate doing chores around the house…but I'm not a very good warrior either. Kenshin always has to be there to help me, I'm so useless…" Kaoru said to herself as she was filled with anger. "No wonder he can't love me."
I love you Kenshin…your past doesn't matter to me…Kaoru-dono…
Don't you even love me just a little bit?
Gomen nasai Kaoru-dono…
"Oh no! Kenshin! He might have gotten injured!" She got up, standing on the futon and tried to walk over to the door before she realized that the futon was several inches off of the ground. Kaoru tumbled in a heap on the floor, letting out shriek of surprise right before she hit the ground with a thud.
"Ouch! That must've hurt."
Kaoru groaned and rolled to her back, "What is ouch? And yes, it did hurt. Quite a lot actually." She looked up and saw a face of a girl, a few years younger than her, peering down from underneath a curtain of black hair. She smiled ruefully. "Konichiwa!"
"Konichiwa," the girl said with a smile of her own, before she sat down beside Kaoru on the floor.
Kaoru sat up. "My name's Kamiya Kaoru."
Kagome smiled, "My name is Higurashi Kagome and you're in my room right now."
Kaoru's eyes took in the girl's strange clothes, the extraordinarily thick futon and the other furniture inside the room. Something told her she was not in the shrine any longer. "Where's Kenshin?"
"Kenshin? If he's the redhead with you, he's in Souta's room resting. Souta's my younger brother."
"Can I see him? Kenshin? Is he okay?"
"He's fine, just sleeping. Later you can see him, but you need to rest a bit."
"Oh…where are we?"
"You're inside the house. I saw you and your friend at the bottom of the well."
Kaoru winced.
"Are you in pain?"
"Just my pride. My ribbon got caught in a gust of wind and I chased it…I fell over the well and Kenshin had to jump after me." Kaoru sighed. "Kenshin always has to save me, I feel so guilty whenever he gets hurt because of me…"
"Oh believe me, I know the feeling."
Kaoru glanced over at the girl and smiled at the empathy there. "Where's Kaname-san? Are you her daughter?"
"Oh, you know my mom?"
Kaoru nodded. "We were having tea before she excused herself for a moment, I imagine she must be really worried…oh no! Sano and Yahiko must be worried sick too!"
.
Kaoru knew her mom? But her mom said she didn't know who these people were. Kagome bit her lip and shook her head. Maybe she'd gotten too many hits on the head in her adventures that her mind was starting to get affected?
She hoped not.
"Are Sano and Yahiko your family?" Kagome asked as she reached for the cordless phone.
"Sort of…"
"You can call them, tell them you and your friend will spend the night here. It's too late to try and go home now and Mama wants to make sure that both you and Kenshin are safe."
Kaoru stared at the oddly shaped contraption Kagome was holding out to her. "What's this?" she asked, perplexed.
"It's a telephone…" Kagome answered, feeling a strange suspicion dawning over her. Kaoru's expression just now looked somewhat like Inuyasha when he'd first seen the devices modern Japan had to offer. "Kaoru-chan, can you tell me what you were doing at our well house? Did you and this Kenshin get lost or something?"
"No. We went to the shrine to visit with Kaname-san and I was chasing my hair ribbon and I fell into the Bone Eater's Well…"
Kagome stared into Kaoru's blue eyes. "Tell me Kaoru-san…where are you? Do you know?"
"In your room. The shrine in Tokyo."
Kagome sighed. "Whew, for a moment there I thought I was going to be dealing with another anomaly…"
The door opened and Kagome's mother, Kaname Higurashi came inside carrying a tray with two steaming cups of tea. "Oh hello, dear. You're finally awake!"
"Mom, Kaoru-chan says she knows you."
Kaoru glanced at Kagome. "That's not Kaname-san."
"She's my mom, her name is Kaname Higurashi."
Kaoru shook her head. "No. Kaname-san is older…with a mole just below her left eye."
The tray crashed to the ground.
"Mama…?"
"Kaname-san…with the mole in her left eye is our ancestress…"
"Huh?" Kaoru did not understand what was going on at all.
Kagome had a sinking feeling she was starting to understand all too well. "Tell me Kaoru-chan, is it the Feudal Era?"
"Of course not. That was a long time ago!"
"What is this era, then?"
"It's the Meiji."
.
A/N: Hmmm, not really satisfied with this chapter but it had to be written so I can get to the funny interaction parts. I don't think this chapter was all that funny. It's probably more of 'emotional, slight angst'. Oh well. Anyway hope you enjoyed it. My first try into writing a semi-Inuyasha fic so please review and tell me if I did a passable job or sucked big time. Please review!
Sesshoumaru: Do I have to say it? Of course your paltry human mind cannot even come close to understanding this Sesshoumaru's real majesty.
Scented: I haven't even written you in the chapter yet!
Sesshoumaru: ah, but I can easily foresee your plans for this mundane story of yours. (claws drip poison) If you dare continue in that line of thinking, you shall feel the burning pain of my toxic poison.
Scented: (rolls eyes) Keep that up and I'll partner you with someone worse than a 'human female'.
Sesshoumaru: You DARE THREATEN ME HUMAN?
Scented: (taps finger on chin, thinking thoughtfully) I know! How about Jaken? There must be a REASON why you keep him with you ALL the Time!
Sesshoumaru: (blanches) Don't you even dare…
Scented: Hmmm, exactly how does the mechanics of kissing him…? He doesn't exactly have lips, all he has are those beak things…
Sesshoumaru: Urusai, Onna! (shut up, woman!)
Kagome: (snickers) Touchy, touchy…Sesshoumaru's defending his mate!
Sesshoumaru: (glowers at Scented and Kagome and advances with his sword drawn)
Kagome: uh-oh, that's not the healing sword…
Sesshoumaru: (evil smirk) No…
Scented: Take one more step and I'll write a lemon featuring you and Jaken.
Sesshoumaru: (freezes)
Kaoru: (perplexed) Why's he so scared of being partnered with Jaken?
Kagome: (Shows picture of Jaken)
Kaoru: (eyes widen) Oh…
Scented: Okay, right now I'm not sure if it will be Inu/Kag or Sess/Kag, I have a preference for Sess/Kag thought but I'm not sure where I will take this story so if you think it should be Inu/Kag or Sess/Kag, please say so in your review. Thanks!
