"Alright everyone, welcome to the Kaiba Duelist Academy," said the instructor. "You are all here to learn and expand your knowledge and experience in Dueling. I and every member of the faculty hope that you can have fun here, and will always do your best. First thing, feel free to get up and move around and meet with your fellow classmates."
As the kids in the 5-6 grade class room stood up and shook hands with everyone, most flocked to Mokuba, Shippo, and Souta, who were all pretty well known in the Dueling world and had built up their reputations as excellent Duelists. But word was spreading quickly of one girl in the class who'd never participated in a competition or tournament. Later in recess, the girl was the big topic.
"What's her name?" Mokuba asked some kids.
"Rin, and she says she lives near Higurashi, is it true?"
"I've never seen her before," Souta said, "She might have just moved in to the neighborhood. I did hear that a pretty reclusive man and his daughter moved into the huge apartments down the street form our shrine."
"I wonder," Mokuba said as they walked around the dueling yard. Students were gathered together in small groups playing Duel Monsters on the various tables. Most of them were doing pretty well, but one was winning hands down.
"Rin," Mokuba observed as he spotted the girl with messy black hair.
"What's she doing, coming in here like that, and blowing away all the competition?" Shippo asked.
"I don't know. Maybe she's a Legacy Duelist, like us," Souta said. "Maybe her one of her parents or a brother or sister could be a Duel Monsters champ."
"You numb skulls are way off, she's a total novice," said little Keith Bandit. "Just watch. I'll blow her away with my machine deck and then she'll know her place." Souta, Mokuba, and Shippo watched as their rival walked over to the main dueling table and challenged the new girl to a duel.
"The name's Little Keith Bandit," he said to Rin.
"I'm pleased to meet you," she said, smiling sweetly.
"Enough of that garbage," Little Keith said, "Let's just duel so I can put you in your place, rookie." Rin's plain expression didn't change, but something in her eyes did. They looked very determined now.
"Check it out!" Mokuba exclaimed, "She beat him in under ten moves!"
"NO WAY!" everyone exclaimed.
"I… I… I can't believe she beat me!" Little Keith grabbed the sides if his head and pulled his hair. He racked is brains going back over every move he'd made and trying to figure out how this girl had beaten him.
"Wow, she's played everyone in our grades and won every time," said one boy. "She even beat a regional champ."
"Hey, there' three Duelists she hasn't beaten yet," said another girl. "Kaiba, Fox, and Higurashi."
"Hey Kaiba, you're Seto' Kaiba's little brother, right?"
"Yeah," Mokuba replied.
"Well, come knock this little brat down a peg," said the boy. Mokuba just sort of stood there for a moment without answering. "Come on, don't tell me you're chicken."
"Mokuba's got more guts than you do," Shippo said.
"Yeah, he'll bet her," added Souta.
"That's right! He'll do it," said another of Mokuba's fans. Mokuba blushed and then calmly walked over to the table where Rin sat and as soon as he sat down in front of her, she smiled.
"Hi. You must be Mokuba Kaiba," she said.
"Yeah, and you're Rin." Mokuba replied, "Glad to meet you." Suddenly she leaned forward and put her hand on his forehead.
"Hmm," she said. "You're not running a fever."
"What are you talking about?" Mokuba asked as she sat back down.
"Well, I was talking to some other girls in class, and they said you were hot, but you feel fine to me."
Mokuba blushed more intensely, "I, uh, don't think that's what they meant… So, yous just moved here or something?" Mokuba said, changing the subject quickly.
"Yes. I just moved to Tokyo with my guardian." she said.
"Wow, you're an orphan too?" Mokuba asked.
"Yes, I am. My parents died when I was very small and I was sort of left on my own until my guardian found me," she said.
"Wow," Mokuba replied, "We've got so much in common. I kinda hate to have to duel you."
"Why?" Rin asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, because I, uh…"
"You think that you are going to win just because you are the brother of the Seto Kaiba?" Rin giggled. Mokuba didn't know what to think of her reaction. He took out his deck anyway and shuffled.
"I'll let you go first," he said as they exchanged decks, shuffled, then handed them back.
"Thank you very much, but you may regret your generosity later," she said, with a quiet smile. "I play Spirit of the Breeze (atk/0, def/1800) and lay two cards face down on the field."
Mokuba drew. "I play Armed Dragon LV3 (atk/1200, def/900) and play the magic card Level Up. This lets me special summon Armed Dragon LV5 (atk/2400, def/1700) and lay one card face down on the field."
"Nice moves, but I'm going to have to play Snatch Steal," Rin said as she drew her next card. "Now I can take control of your monster and use him against you." As she took his card, his life point counter dropped to 1600.
"Hey, what gives? You've never lost a duel, Mokuba," said his friends.
"I'm going to lose this one either," Mokuba said. "Okay, if you're done, then it's my turn, and because it's my standby phase, Snatch Steal increases my life points by 1000."
"Not quite right," Rin said, "I activate my traps cards, Bad Reaction to Simochi and the eye of Truth. Now not only do you lose 1000 points from Snatch Steal, but with Eye of Truth, whenever you have magic card in your hand, your points go down even further."
"But those cards are supposed to raise my points," Mokuba siad,
"Normally that would be true, but when Bad Reaction to Simochi is on the field. Now all increases to your life points become decreases." Rin explained. Mokuba's points dropped to zero, and he sat there stunned as how quickly he'd been beaten by the this relative new comer to the game.
"Wow! She beat Kaiba!" everyone there exclaimed. "Mokuba Kaiba lost!" no one could believe it, but this mysterious kid, Rin, had just beaten the best Duelist in the whole academy on her first day.
"But… how did you do that?" Mokuba asked Rin as she got up from the table.
"I think that is easy to see. You were too arrogant." she told Mokuba. "But don't worry about it. We're here to learn, so maybe you'll do better next time." Everyone including Mokuba was impressed by Rin, and Even Shippo had to admit that there was an air about her that seemed otherworldly and exotic. Something about her reminded him of home and hearth, and of Inu-yasha and Kagome. He missed them when he was here in the modern era with his other friends.
"I wonder what Inu-yasha and Kagome are doing right now." Shippo said to himself as he walked back inside with the rest of his classmates.
Transition
"So Sesshomaru just left you here?" Kagome asked as she poured Jaken some tea and handed him a sticky bun.
"That's right, after giving him the best years of my life, he takes Rin and leaves me alone to face the world without either friends or a place to call home." Jaken wept. "I was his loyal squire all this time and this is how he repays me."
"What I can't understand is why he went through the well into your time, Kagome, there's nothing there for him, other than Ramen Noodles. Huh, do you think he's after my Ramen?" Inu-yasha asked. "That devious sneak, he would go after the things that I love to prove a point!" Kagome just pretended that she didn't hear him say such a ridiculous thing.
"It must be because he's seen us going through so much, otherwise, he wouldn't know about it." Kagome said. "He probably just wanted to know where we were going."
"Then why has he not returned for me?" Jaken asked. "No, he's left me, and there's no telling where in your world he is!" Jaken began to cry again and Kagome just sort of sat there with Inu-yasha pondering over the matter when all of a sudden, there came a pair of ear piercing cries from the next room. "What is that?" Jaken asked, covering his ears along with Inu-yasha.
"That would be the babies waking up from their nap." Kagome said, getting up to change them. "They always start crying like that when they need changing. Inu-yasha won't you please give me a hand this time?" Kagome asked.
"Babies?" Jaken asked. "Inu-yasha, you and that woman have children now?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Inu-yasha asked. "We're both adults here, and last time I checked I hadn't passed a law in my province that said people couldn't have children."
"In any case, please come help me." Kagome pleaded.
"I can't stand their screaming!" Inu-yasha exclaimed as their head splitting screams worsened.
"Such strong lungs, like Lord Sesshomaru's when he was a baby." Jaken said walking into the babies' room with Kagome.
"You've been with Sesshomaru that long?" Kagome asked.
"I've served the family of the great Inu-taishu for many years." Jaken told Kagome. "Please, allow me." He rushed over to the cribs and picked up one Inu-puppy at a time and gently tended to them. Soon their crying subsided and the two babies giggled and cooed with delight as Jaken made funny faces and tickled them.
"He's so good with them." Kagome said looking over the cribs at her happy children.
"Hey, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Inu-yasha asked Kagome as he stood next to her.
"Hey, Jaken, since Sesshomaru's given you the boot, why not come and work for us?" Kagome asked him. Jaken turned around suddenly and his jaw dropped.
"You mean come and be the nursemaid to the children of Inu-yasha, my master's sworn enemy?" He thought for a moment. "I'll do it!" He declared.
Authors' Note: Ok, we'll definitely have more action in the next chapter. Promise! Please review. And sorry for the long delay