Author's Ramble: Don't know why, but I have really been feeling crappy today... Not as in my mood, just really crappy... Hope I'm not coming down with the flu...
But, that is not my only excuse as to why it has taken me forever and two days to get this story out. I got a new computer, and it is an Apple, and as such (Being new and an Apple), it has no floppy drive. No floppy drive means that I cannot load my stories, which means that I have to do it at school, during lunch or after school... So, here I am! (smiles) Yeah, that was probably more info than you even needed to know, but who cares? ...You do, probably...
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't lay claim to... Don't even know if I want to take credit for the story, until it reaches chapter 22... That's when the story picks up people! I swear!
Warnings: Meh. Don't really think there's any, but who knows. Read at your own risk.
The Cousin
Scroll Three
Prying the Jewel Shards from the silver pieces that would attach them to the ear, Kagome asked her cousin, "This is so great! But, where on earth did you find them? Surely not in a department store..."
"No..." Jenni admitted, sitting beside the bed and leaning against the bedpost. "Uh, actually, I got them in some antique store in the market place just before I came here. Auntie was showing me around and all that... You know, the tourist stuff that you have to do when you arrive in a place that you've never been before..."
Getting tired of the pleasantries going between the two girls, Inuyasha decided to risk his ass by saying to Kagome, "Wench, we need to go back through the well! We need to collect more shards there! We've already lost half a day!"
Wincing at his accusatory tone, Kagome waved her hands submissively at the hanyou and conceded, "Yeah, yeah..." Turning to face her slightly confused cousin, she asked, "That is, if it is okay with you Jenni."
Blinking, the blonde stated, "Yeah, perfectly fine with me. I just have one quick question; How do you actually -get- to the past?"
"Um, well, you see, you go to the well and... Uh, why don't I just show you how it works?" Kagome asked after not being able to correctly say how the well worked, since she didn't even know herself. "Sure!" Jenni smiled, standing and following Kagome down the flight of stairs. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha leapt from the second story window, easily landing on the ground in a ten point landing. Exiting the kitchen door, Kagome and Jenni walked to the well house, Inuyasha following them with his arms tucked inside his haori's sleeves. On the walk to the run-down well, Kagome explained what she knew of the well's workings, then hugged her cousin goodbye as they stood beside the lip of the rotting Bone Eater's Well. Pulling the young miko onto his back, Inuyasha jumped into the well's opening, the magic contained in the seemingly normal object transporting the two to the Feudal Era in only a few seconds.
oOo
When they arrived on the other side of the well, Inuyasha jumped from the dirt floor of the well to the grassy ground and promptly sat down, while Kagome stood and stretched, taking a deep breath of the noticeably cleaner air. Raising her arms above her head, Kagome paused in mid-stretch when she heard a small voice below her cough, "Ahem."Placing her hands on the wooden rim of the well, Kagome looked down the depths of the well and facefaulted when she saw Jenni standing there, her arms crossed behind her back.
"Uh, Jenni...? How...? What...?" Kagome stuttered, her surprise evident in her voice. Hadn't they left her back at the shrine...?
"How did you follow us?" Inuyasha demanded. He had finally deemed Kagome's confusion worth some investigation, and had turned to see the blonde girl from Kagome's house staring up at him from the bottom of the well. That wasn't supposed to happen, people randomly coming through the well, other than himself and Kagome of course, was it?
"Well, I was standing beside the well after you jumped through, then turned to leave the well house. Just as I touched the doorframe to exit the well house, I was suddenly thrown off my feet and when I opened my eyes, I was suddenly standing here. You mean that this has never happened before?"
"Well, no, not really..." Kagome admitted, wringing her hands together. She didn't want her cousin to have to experience the dangers of the Feudal Era! It could be dangerous!
"Oh." Jenni mumbled, then turned large, blue eyes pleadingly at Inuyasha. "Can you help me get out... I seem to be kinda stuck... Please?"
After the hanyou had helped the blonde girl from the well and the three had sat beside said well and discussed the situation, all three decided to go on to Kaede's village. The old priestess might know what was going on, and Jenni said that, if she was already here, why not see some of the Feudal Era? ("Hey," she had argued, "It might come in handy in History class...")
After walking the short distance, they arrived around the time that the stars were first beginning to appear in the dark sky, and the tiny village was already bedded down for the night. Entering Kaede's hut, Kagome told the others that Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede were already all asleep. Entering the old priestess's hut quietly, Kagome gently touched her shoulder and she awoke without a sound. Sitting on the floor, she agreed to listen to their story, and when they had finished explaining their problem, she told them that she did not know any more about it than they already did. Turning her wrinkled face to Jenni, Kaede suggested, "Why don't you stay in my house tonight child? I can tell you all that your cousin has faced while she has stayed with us for the past months, and you can know more about this time." Agreeing to this, Jenni told Kagome and Inuyasha to go lay down and get some sleep, and they nodded and grabbed a blanket each and promptly drifted into their dreams while Jenni and Kaede sat by the crackling fire, the wizened priestess's words the only sound other than the fire and the light snores in the room.
oOo
Blinking her eyes against the morning light, Kagome yawned and tried to stretch and found that she had a small weight attached to her body. Smiling, she said, "Good morning to you too Shippo. Can I please have my legs back now? I'm not going back to my time yet." Letting go of the girl's legs and bounding towards her pillow, and, giving her a tight hug, the tiny kitsune gushed in as few breaths as possible, "Kagome! I missed you -so- much! Why didn't you come back yesterday like you said you would? Inuyasha was sitting by the well, waiting for you to come, and I was with him, wishing that you were here so that it wasn't so boring, or so that I could have that pretty blue cray-on that you promise to bring me so I could color on my paper. I broke my other blue cray-on, remember, so you promised to bring me a new one! Did you get it? Did you Kagome?""Yes Shippo, I remembered your crayon. And, as to why I didn't come back yesterday..." Kagome started, slightly surprised that Shippo could fit that many words per breath, yet was cut off when her stomach began to growl in protest to no food being inside her. "How about I explain over breakfast? Is that a good deal?"
"Okay!" Shippo agreed, jumping from her blanket to allow her the room to roll away from the warmth of her 'bed'. Standing, Kagome and Shippo both exited the hut, the girl blinking as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the morning sun. Jumping onto her shoulder, Shippo watched the birds fly around the trees, their shrill voices tweeting peacefully, if not a little annoyingly in the kitsune's opinion. Walking into the forest, in search of the rest of their group, Kagome wondered where Jenni could have gotten to since last night. On the way, Kagome and Shippo picked up Sango and Kirara, who had both been training together since earlier that morning, then Miroku, who had a fresh hand imprint on his cheek, and lastly Inuyasha, who jumped from a tree to join them. Turning around, they headed towards Kaede's hut for breakfast and were greeted by a mouth watering scent with each step that took them closer to the wooden structure. Smiling, Kagome quickened her pace and brushed aside the hanging over the door opening, entering the hut, from where the smell was originating. Watching her in slight surprise, the tanjiya, monk were even more surprised when she was gently ushered back outside by an unfamiliar figure. Waving a finger at Kagome, the blonde haired girl smiled at the young miko, then entered the hut once more, leaving Kagome standing there by herself. Looking at them, she gave them a lopsided smile and shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, 'Oh well, I tried.' Walking to the girl, Inuyasha's nose twitched as the blonde girl, Jenni, appeared outside once more and handed Kagome two strips of cooked meat, laughing as the girl took them and ate one, giving the other to Shippo. Staring at the meat questioningly, Shippo took a small, hesitant bite from the strip, then scarfed down the rest, licking his lips when he was finished. Entering the hut once more, Jenni let the cover slide into place once more, and the three very confused fighters turned their attention to Kagome.
"Uh, Kagome," Sango asked, pointing a finger to the hut, "Who was that? And, how do you know her?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'll introduce you all to her when she comes back out with breakfast!" Kagome replied, picking Shippo from her shoulder and placing him in her arms. He got kinda heavy when he stayed in one spot for too long!
Shrugging, the others sat against the hut, waiting till the mystery girl came back outside with their morning meal. They did have to admit that the aroma coming from inside the hut was very tempting. Sometime later, the flap was flung away from the door and the smiling girl emerged, holding a large plateful of fluffy yellow things, strips of meat like what she had given Kagome and strange looking brown patties. Introducing each meal item as eggs, bacon and hashbrowns respectively, the four Feudal Era people just started at all the warm food that Kagome had never even introduced them to. Laughing at their expressions, Jenni brought them from their trance and told them, "Go on! Eat! If you just keep looking at it, it'll get cold, and then where will all my hard work go? Eat!"
Everyone seemed to reach for the food at the same time, and a frenzy of chopstick swatting and face stuffing commenced. About a fourth of the way done, Kagome remembered her duty to her friends and cousin and hastily stood and motioned to the girl sitting beside her. "Everyone, this is my cousin, Jenni. She somehow was able to come through the well after Inuyasha and I." Jenni nodded to acknowledge that statement, smiling at each person or demon that she had not yet met.
"That, and she can defeat a demon faster than I have ever seen before." Kaede stated as she approached the feasting group, bow and quiver slung across her shoulders. Turning to face the blonde girl that was currently eating her scrambled eggs, everyone's mouths hung open when she shrugged and stated clearly, "It was trying to steal my water."
