Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the others, they all belong to Rumiko Takahashi, bless her.

Thanks so much to my happy reviewers, Emerald Jewels and Taka Sheoku. I really appreciate you guys, being my first reviewers and all, and are so glad you liked the story.

Here we continue after Tack and Courtney made the jump between worlds and we're very excited. We need to stop using "we" since I'm really only taking about me. Heh. It's been a long, gatorade drinking day. In any case, here we meet Inuyasha and the gang! Be excited!

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Inside the well, Courtney de la Shanz looked fearfully about, shuddering from the pain in her face. How dare that low life Harley girl touch her! And now, the most popular girl Dameon highschool lay, helpless, on a well bottom, future uncertain and body aching from her strange day. Glancing warily at the makeshift brick climbing wall, the blonde girl rose unsteadily to her feet and cursed; one of her expensive white heels was broken, the heel completely unglued. This provoked a whimper from the wretched girl and she reached down to remove the shoe, taking off the other as well to even herself out. Tentatively, she stepped forward and took a leg up on the bricks.

On her first try, Courtney slipped and fell backwards, knocking her breath out in an audible whoosh. After mourning the stains on her pink jacket, the girl attempted once more, this time making a slightly smoother ascent. After what seemed like an eternity, she arrived at the gaping well mouth, clambering over the edge only to land in a heap on the grass. Furrowing her brow, Courtney glanced around and felt her composure fleeing for the second time that day. Certainly, this wasn't the yard from Dameon high.

Her breath coming in short gasps, Courtney's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she let out banshee like wail, her high pitched scream echoing around the forest as birds scattered from the trees. Though the place seemed completely deserted, a keen pair of ears perked up at the sound of her shriek.

Kagome Higurashi let her bike roll to a standstill as she turned to look over her shoulder, deep brown eyes twinkling with concern. Behind her, a young man with curious silver hair let his abnormal white ears swivel to and fro, as though searching for a sound. His amber eyes alight with adrenaline, he turned back to Kagome and said shortly, "In the forest."

A few feet ahead of Kagome, three more travelers cocked their heads in curiosity. Dark hair waving slightly in the wind, Sango the demon slayer glanced fitfully around their position, as though awaiting attackers; if her hanyou companion sensed something amiss, she needed to be on her guard. Beside her, a young holy man did the same, brown eyes keen and quick. His right hand tensed within its cloth covering as he wondered; would his cursed hand come in handy tonight? Upon the monk's shoulder, a small fox demon attempted a brave grunt as he joined his companions in searching the area for attackers. He must be a man and stand up to his fears of battle.

Before anymore words could be spoken, the hanyou began a sprint towards the forest, his godly speed causing the tree limbs to creak and bow as he passed. Rolling her eyes in irritation, Kagome yelled, "Inuyasha!" though this did little to halt his pursuit of the mysterious forest guest. Turning to address her companions, the girl shared a wordless glance with Sango and the demon slayer nodded, looking down at her feet.

A small white cat, it's eyes round with wonder, heard its name called in human speak. "Kirara!" At the sound of its master's command, the cat disappeared within a vortex of flame, emerging ten times its normal size, fangs elongated for battle. Letting out a fierce growl, it signaled its readiness as the humans mounted its back, preparing for take off.

With that, the three humans and kitsune were lifted into the air, flying on the back of their magical cat friend. High above the forest, they watched for any signs of Inuyasha through the canopy of trees, though they saw nothing. The kitsune wrinkled his nose and furrowed his brow. "I smell something funny. It's human, but not like any human I've ever smelled. It's...that way," he said, designating the direction with a point of his paw.

"Are you sure, Shippo?" asked the monk, his voice calm.

"Yeah," said the kitsune with a confident nod. At this, the cat took a downward swoop towards the appointed area and flew cleanly through an opening in the trees, landing with nary a sound on the forest floor. Sango removed a powerful weapon from her back, fingering the leather grip restlessly as she readied her boomerang bone for action.

"Miroku, do you sense anyone?" she asked.

Half hooding his eyes in concentration, the monk searched the surrounding area for a presence and let his eyes widen in mild surprise. He'd felt this aura before, though it seemed strangely different, as though resurrected in a new shell. "Yes, though they are not threatening."

At the monks words, Sango replaced her weapon and joined Kagome where she stood. "I wonder why Inuyasha just took off like that," mused Kagome worriedly.

Smiling, Sango said, "Don't worry Kagome, I'm sure it's nothing."

Before the girls could continue their conversation, Miroku shouted, "Hello there!"

Walking calmly down the forest path, not a hitch in their step, was a redheaded girl, her green eyes fierce with confidence. In one glance, Kagome realized her clothes were not from this world and a sense of familiarity grabbed her; this girl was from her era. Narrowing her eyes slightly, the girl came to stop a few feet from the monk and released a cold smile.

"Hey," she said placidly.

"What's a beautiul girl like yourself doing in the forest?" asked Miroku, a hint of his perversion coming through in his words.

"Attempting to stay away from leches like you," shot back the girl smartly. Sango raised an eyebrow; this girl was no fool to be sure.

"Why, whatever do you mean? I myself was just in search of a friend of mine. Perhaps you've seen him, about my height, white hair, dog ears," continued Miroku with a bright smile, undeterred by the girl's remark.

At the description, Tack raised an eyebrow suspiciously and crossed her arms over her chest. "Really. White hair and dog ears, huh? No, can't say I've seen him."

Kagome stepped forward before Miroku could dig himself a deeper hole and smiled kindly, holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Kagome Higurashi. You're probably wondering where you are."

Slightly at ease with the familiarity of the girl's school uniform, Tack managed a small smile as she shook the girl's soft hand firmly. "I'm Tack Harley. And I was kind of wondering."

"Well, you ar..." began Kagome before another piercing scream in the distance cut her off.

Exchanging glances with her comrades, Kagome motioned for Tack to come along as they ran in the direction of the sound, only a few hundred metres down the forest path. Tack recognized the girly shriek and rolled her eyes regretfully; she'd only made it a half mile away before Courtney pulled her away from happiness again. In the clearing from whence Tack had come, Inuyasha stood a few feet away from a breathless blonde girl, who was backed fearfully up against the well shivering in terror.

Kagome took in the scene and called immedeately, "Inuyasha!"

The hanyou turned away from the girl briefly to acknowledge Kagome and she supressed a laugh; the look of complete and utter confusion on his face was indeed humorous. Obviously, he couldn't deal with this screaming girl quite the way he could with Kagome.

Tack observed Inuyasha with slightly surprised eyes, thinking quietly, "Well, that's not something you see everyday." Having grown up in a police family however, she was only slightly thrown off and regained her composure almost instantly. He was the way he was and nothing she did would change that. Besides, he could go on being a white haired, dog eared oddity and it wouldn't bother her.

Courtney, on the otherhand, was terrified beyond all comprehensible reason. A white haired man? With dog ears? And fangs? In a big, red suit? This was all too weird! Gripping the well tightly, she half thought of jumping back in, though a voice broke her thoughts. A dark haired girl in a green school uniform called to the mutant freak before her and he turned, obviously an acquaintance of hers. How could she be in league with this abomination of nature?

Rushing towards the blonde, Kagome knelt down beside her and smiled soothingly. "It's okay, I'm a friend. My name is Kagome."

Nodding blearily, Courtney hesitated slightly before taking the girl's outstretched hand, rising unsteadily to her feet. "I-I'm Courtney."

Inuyasha, now seeming unruffled by the girl's startled reaction, turned towards the others as the two girls talked near the well. He took in the sight of Tack and barked gruffly, "Who are you?"

"Tack Harley," came her short reply.

Finding the girl significantly less irritating than the blonde, Inuyasha strolled towards the group and sat cross legged on the ground, waiting for Kagome to finish her discussion with the newcomer. Miroku turned his attention to Tack, asking politely, "Miss Tack, do you know that girl?"

Crossing her arms haughtily over her chest, Tack avoided his gaze as she muttered vehemently, "Not by choice."

Sango looked over to where Kagome was assisting the girl and then back to Tack. Certainly, the two girls seemed completely unalike, though she knew neither of them. Tack's tone spoke the truth louder than words; these newcomers were not on friendly terms. Finally, Kagome persuaded the frightened girl to approach the others and she took a tentative seat, far from Inuyasha and his obvious irritation.

Tack pointedly ignored Courtney as she asked Kagome, "You were telling me where I was."

Nodding slowly, Kagome took a seat next to Courtney and the others soon followed, preparing for what would surely be a long discussion. "Well, it's a long story. I came through the well about a year ago..."

By the time Kagome finished her tale, night had settled over the forest and Miroku busied himself making a fire from twigs and brush. Tack sat quietly, her back against a tree trunk, as she drank in the information just provided. Truly this was a strange set of circumstances, though she wasn't frightened in any way. Actually, she was rather excited by the whole episode. Nothing like this ever happened in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. All she heard of there was murder and money, flying in constant shadows above her head. She was neither a killer nor a debutante and, therefore, lived a hard life in that city. This was a welcome change.

Courtney, on the otherhand, was once again opposite Tack's view. This whole thing was foreign, weird, scary; if only she could curl up in her queen sized bed, glancing contentedly at the pink canopy before falling asleep in her father's mansion. What she wouldn't give for a mocha frappucino and a ride in her pink volkswagen beetle, or a phone call from her friends sharing the latest gossip. And of all the people to make a leap between worlds with, she was stuck with the impossible Tack Harley. Courtney's life, as far as she was concerned, couldn't possibly get any worse.

As both girls were eerily silent, Kagome tried to make conversation. "So, do you two go to the same school?"

At this, both girls snapped out of their thoughts and snorted, obviously unhappy with the reminder. Kagome furrowed her brow, trying to get a bit more information. "In what city?"

Courtney said nothing, gazing blearily into the firelight, leaving Tack to pick up the loose ends. "Dallas, Texas," replied Tack.

Eyes alight with excitement, Kagome exclaimed, "America! That's so cool! I'm from Tokyo."

Tack seemed to come alive as Kagome said this and she asked, "Japan? Wow. I've never been there."

Here, Courtney interjected suddenly, "I have. Daddy goes there on business all the time."

The girl's willingness to talk pleased Kagome and she continued the conversation in earnest. "Oh? Your dad must be pretty important."

"Yeah," said Courtney smiling, "He's the American president of Sony electronics. I get all the free stuff I want."

These words were almost an alert to Kagome and she realized, in one moment of clarity, that this girl was popular and spoiled. She could tell by her clothes, her condescending attitude, her aloof stares in Inuyasha's direction. But this wouldn't deter Kagome from being polite and making friends; maybe the girl wasn't as bad as all that. She could be just shaken by this whole experience. Maybe she would snap out of it in a few days. Turning to Tack, Kagome asked brightly, "So Tack, what does your dad do?"

Looking cooly back at Kagome, Tack responded levelly, "My dad was a cop. He was killed in the line of duty seven months ago."

Though the redhead looked over in Courtney's direction, the cheerleader averted her eyes, scratching at the suddenly fascinating forest floor. Those cruel things she'd said about Tack's parents suddenly seemed so terrible and wrong, even Courtney was ashamed. Kagome's happiness faded immedeately and she breathed, "Oh, I'm so sorry Tack. That must be terrible for you."

Managing a wan smile, Tack replied, "I'm moving on; its what he would've wanted."

Though she appeared alright on the outside, Sango could tell the redhead was anything but alright. Just like the demon slayer had done after her father died, Tack thought of her father constantly, what she might've done to prevent his death, what she would've given for a different outcome. Mourning the death of a loved one wasn't just a quick up and go; it was a long process, filled with hurdles to jump and mountains to climb. Tack Harley was a sad girl beneath the facades and Sango could see it clearly.

"Tack, I'm sorry for your loss," said Miroku kindly.

Tack nodded stoically. "Thank you, Miroku."

After a rather uncomfortable silence, Inuyasha said gruffly, "You two don't smell completely human."

This comment seemed so random, so out of place, that Kagome lowered her eyebrows dangerously. "Inuyasha, how rude!"

He didn't seem put off by the girl's reaction and only watched the newcomers for signs of response. Tack raised an eyebrow almost lazily, not totally surprised, while Courtney gasped, offended. Blue eyes gleaming with indignance, she said primly, "How dare you!"

"Feh," was the hanyou's only response and Tack watched him carefully. Looking down at her own hands and feeling the dullness of her canine teeth, she couldn't understand being incompletely human. All her life she'd been normal, or as normal as anatomy would allow, but he couldn't possibly be wrong. With his acute sense of smell, the dog demon obviously told no lies. The thought was, however, more unsettling than she let on.

"I've always been human. What else do I smell like?" asked Tack, a bit of an edge to her voice.

"You smell like a wolf," said Inuyasha coldly, obviously unhappy with the idea.

Time seemed suspended as Tack pondered this idea, a blank look of surprise on her feet, before she replied fiercely, "You're a fucking loony if you think I'm part wolf."

Growling at her sharp response, Inuyasha had little time to think of a reply when the blonde girl interjected her own opinion pompously. "I'm born from two of the richest, most well bred families in America. You just try and tell me otherwise!"

Eyeing Courtney viciously, Inuyasha said quietly, "And you smell like something I've smelled before. A priestess."

Kagome blinked, now interested in the hanyou's suspicions. "A priestess? Who?"

Sango furrowed her brow in confusion, firelight dancing on her face as she asked in disbelief, "You can't mean Kikyo?"

Shaking his head, Inuyasha muttered, "Not Kikyo. You smell like...forget it..." He trailed off, leaving unsaid words hanging on the air, and Courtney harumphed, crossing her delicate arms and looking pointedly away from the others. Tack rolled her eyes at this childish behavior and returned to the matters at hand. She still had business to tend to.

"Kagome?" the girl turned at her name, listening to Tack carefully. "I don't have money or a place to stay. If you have any ideas, I'm open."

Looking over at Miroku, Kagome seemed to ask him silently for assistance and the monk intervened on cue. "Perhaps we could take you and Courtney to the village in the morning. Our friend Kaede would no doubt prove helplful."

Nodding her thanks, Tack returned to staring deeply into the fire, pondering over Inuyasha's comment. Wolf? How in the world could she smell like wolf? Never had she even seen a wolf, except in the zoo. Dallas had coyotes, certainly, but not wolves. This entire thing seemed somewhat strange. Didn't Kagome say, during her tale, that you had to have a shard of the famed Shikon jewel to even cross between the eras? And why Courtney? Why the two of them together? Could fate possibly intend to drive them to their graves with bickering and hatred?

Speaking of Courtney, the affluent girl seemed not at all pleased with the notion of going to the village. "I never said I was going to any village! I'm going to get back in that stupid well and go home!" she informed everyone shrilly.

Eyeing the girl irritatedly, Tack spoke directly to her for the first time that night. "What makes you think you could even get back through? If we needed a shikon shard to get through in the first place, how could we get back? If we didn't have a shikon shard the first time, there's obviously a reason why we're here. And I bet you everything I own that we have to fulfill that purpose before we can leave."

Instead of heeding the girl's words, Courtney shot back, "It's not like betting everything you own would be a big win for me."

Growling fiercely, Tack responded hotly, "Look princess, we're in a different world now. It ain't your girly little fantasies, like your cheerleading team, and your rich daddy, and your boy toys. This is real shit. I think I'm just a little bit smarter than you, so why don't you listen to me for a change!"

Despite the fierceness of Tack's words, Courtney continued unfettered. "Smarter than me? I'm not the goth who has no friends, so I've obviously doing something right. You're just jealous because I have more friends and I'm prettier!"

At this point, Kagome and the others were watching the fiery exchange with interest, picking up details here and there as the girls argued. Favor was quickly shifting towards Tack as Courtney showed her true colors and Inuyasha's suspicions were confirmed. He did indeed like the redhead much more than the blone.

To Courtney's argument, Tack rolled her eyes and yelled back, "First of all, I'm not gothic. Second of all, I have no friends because you and your cheerleading sluts spread all those rumors about my mom screwing the principal and my dad commiting suicide. Thirdly, I have more important things in my life than money and appearances. And if all you value is your social status and your face, you're a lot sadder than I thought."

Though the redheads words cut deeper than she'd let show, Courtney pretended to ignore most of the insult as she pointed angrily to her bruised cheek. "Well, you're the one who hit me. If you hadn't punched me, we wouldn't be here in the first place!"

Narrowing her eyes, completely unfazed by the blonde's logic, Tack said lowly, "You deserved every inch of that pretty little bruise, princess. Now I'm going to sleep."

With this, Tack settled lower against the tree trunk and allowed her eyes to close, basking in the warmth of the fire. Courtney could tell that the conversation was finished and she had lost; she hated that Harley girl more than she could say. Kagome exchanged glances with Sango as they mused over the fight and Inuyasha smirked a little; his favorite had one and that's all he cared about. In any case, even if he liked the redhead more than the blonde, that wasn't saying much. He almost preferred that mangy wolf Kouga to the blonde. In fact, he thought oddly, that red headed wench reminds me of the mangy wolf. I'd like to see the day they meet, feh.

After a taxing day indeed, the party fell quickly asleep, always keeping one eye open for danger.

There you have it, the second installment to this story investment. I continue on in earnest, planning out great things for this plot. Btw, I saw the cheerleader modeled after Courtney today in the mall by accident. She was laughing with some girls and saw me. She blew a kiss, I'm not sure what that means, and continued on talking like nothing ever happened, didn't say hello. The people I were with glared at her and I told them to leave it alone; we'd gotten enough cold shoulders from walking around in black and chains all day. Enough was enough, aye?

Reviews, my friends. It only takes a second, I know you hate being hounded. If your reading, I beg for your input. Please?

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