Disclaimer: We do not own any of the InuYasha characters.
Chapter 2: Enter Sarah
By: Chibi Bean
"There was no sign of her around my place," Kagome answered. "InuYasha couldn't even pick up a scent."
"That's because she didn't go back," Shippo replied simply.
"She…didn't?" Kagome asked
"She's in there," Shippo replied, gesturing to the hut.
InuYasha peeked in. Azurine lay on mat, covered tightly with a blanket. Miroku sat beside her, lightly dozing.
"Monk!" InuYasha cried.
Miroku looked up. "Hello, InuYasha." He sat straighter, grabbing his staff.
"What happened?" Kagome asked.
"Oh, nothing much. Just a demon, but Azurine and Shippo remain safe, so I won't bother you." He inconspicuously brought the blankets over her hands, which were resting on her chest, burned and covered in dimly glowing silver sparks. Well, she can explain this to them when she's ready. Also, when she explains it to me.
InuYasha and Kagome left the hut. InuYasha cried, "Don't do anything to her, monk!"
Miroku shook Azurine lightly, mumbling softly. "Azurine, wake-up."
She opened her eyes. "Huh? Oh, Miroku, what's up? Did InuYasha and Kagome return? Where'd Shippo go?"
Shippo reentered the hut. "I'm right here and InuYasha and Kagome are just outside."
"Did you get the bandages?" Miroku asked. "And the balm?"
Shippo handed them to him. Azurine sat up, wincing at moving her hands.
Miroku first took her left hand, rubbing ointment over it. "So," he asked, "what was that? The sparks, where did they come from?"
"I don't know. Where'd your vortex-hand-thingy come from?"
"Long story. Off topic. Not fun to talk about." A sudden thought struck him. What if she's working for Naraku? He began to wrap gauze over her hand. I hope not… She did come through the well…
"What're you thinking about?" Azurine asked innocently enough.
Miroku shook his head, fastened the bandage, and began on her right. "Nothing important." They sat in silence until Miroku had finished. Then, at the same time, they both said, "I'm sorry."
Miroku looked surprised. "What for?"
"I was childish and I led you into danger. I should have been more careful. You could have been hurt," Azurine murmured.
"We've been through worse, Azurine," Miroku chuckled. "All I regret is that I couldn't help you."
"Thank you for not using your hand," Azurine said, smiling. "It was kind of you to let it go…" She trailed off, pain in her eyes.
"What's wrong, Azure?" Shippo asked.
"I—I'm scared. I've never done anything like this before," she said.
"That's how Kagome was at first," Shippo laughed. "You get used to it."
Shippo cuddled in her lap as Azurine rubbed his hair.
"You're cute!" she giggled.
"Hey…" Shippo whined.
Suddenly, InuYasha burst into the hut. "Someone else got through the well… Damn! The future is invading the past…present…whatever."
Oh no…Let me guess…but it can't be… thought Azurine.
"She said her name was Sarah," Kagome finished.
"Oh no…" Azurine stood and followed Miroku outside.
Sarah was wandering around aimlessly, a dreamy look on her face. "Wow! It's all anime-like. I wonder if Hiei is here. No…wait. This looks more like the feudal era. Maybe Kenshin is here. Coolies!"
Azurine looked at Miroku. "May I borrow your staff?"
He gave her a confused look but nodded and handed it to her.
WHOOP! She hit Sarah upside the head with the staff. "Wrong manga, baka! This isn't Yu Yu Hakusho or Ruroni Kenshin!" She returned the staff to Miroku as Sarah rubbed her head. "Thank you." She turned back to Sarah and asked, "What in the name of all you call holy are you doing here, Tanpopo?"
Sarah pouted up at her friend. "Did ya have to hit me so hard? You've been gone for days and you didn't come out. No one was doing anything about it, so…I got impatient and followed you down. Then I found myself here…" She shook her head. "You know I'm not exactly patient."
Shippo jumped onto Azurine's shoulder. "Who are you?"
Sarah looked at the little kitsune curiously. Aww. How cute!
(Chibi edit: Yes Sarah really is like this. If she saw a demon running around, she'd believe it was real. That's just her warped little mind: ready to believe the most bizarre things.)
"This is Sarah. I call her Tanpopo. She's a friend of mine. Tanpopo, this is Shippo, InuYasha, Kagome, and Miroku." She pointed at each as she named them. "Now that introductions are done with…"
"Do you two have any Shikon shards?" asked Kagome.
Sarah and Azurine spun around. "Shikon shards?"
"Do you mean to tell me you sensed them? And you didn't tell me?" InuYasha cried.
"Yes, I did. But it is theirs if they have any," Kagome admitted. InuYasha growled lightly. "Don't make me use the 'S' word!" Kagome warned.
"'S' word?" Azurine asked. "What's the 'S' word?"
"Sit," Kagome answered simply.
InuYasha was pulled to the ground and fell flat on his face in the dirt.
"Oh, InuYasha!" Kagome cried. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I really didn't!"
"Of…course…you didn't…ow…" InuYasha replied.
"I'm sorry," Kagome apologized, again. "Anyway…Shikon shards. A piece of this jewel." She pulled a large piece of jewel from a chain around her neck.
"That…that sort of looks like…" Azurine pulled her own necklace from under her shirt. It was a small, silver fairy figure with two wings formed by two jewels…ones that matched the Shikon Jewel's color and luster.
Kagome touched the wings. "You have two…"
"That's what the snake demon was after!" Miroku exclaimed.
"We'll talk about that later when you three explain," Kagome said to him, Shippo, and Azurine. "But those are definitely shards. What about you?" she asked Sarah.
Sarah waved her hands defensively. "Don't look at me. The only jewel I have is the one on my class ring." She held it up. "And it's…garnet?" but the jewel was no longer a blood red. It now shone with the same pearly color of the Shikon Jewel. She shook her head in disbelief. "I swear! It was garnet when I got it!"
Miroku took Sarah's hand and studied the ring. "Such a beautiful ring for such a beautiful hand for such a beautiful girl. May I ask you a question?"
Sarah blushed. "Um…Okay."
"Will you bear my child?"
"Bad monk!" Azurine yelled, dragging him away from Sarah.
"Erm…no. Sorry, no…" Sarah answered, shocked.
"Azurine…" Miroku pleaded.
"No," Azurine replied firmly. "She's already said it."
"Hey, Azure?" Sarah asked. "What happened to your hands? They're all purple…and glowing…and sparkly."
Azurine looked down. Her hands were covered in purple sparks, showing even through the bandages. She pulled away from Miroku's sleeve, where one of her hands rested, and tried to hide them behind her back.
"We've got a lot to learn about you two," Kagome sighed.
"And you are going to explain or feel the wrath of my Tetsusaiga!" InuYasha threatened.
"InuYasha… SIT BOY!" Kagome cried. "SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT, BOY!"
InuYasha twitched about three feet underground. Everyone but Kagome and Sarah grimaced. Sarah was standing over the small crater looking down curiously while Kagome stood with folded arms looking very content.
"Was that necessary?" Azurine asked.
"No. But it was fun," Kagome laughed. "So tell. Miroku, Shippo, Azurine. What exactly happened?"
Miroku quietly explained what had occurred while Kagome and InuYasha were gone. Just after he finished, Azurine realized that someone was calling her name. Everyone looked around to find that Sarah seemed to be missing.
"Sarah!" Azurine cried. "Something happened to Sarah!"
As she spun to find her friend, InuYasha grabbed her arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I need to help my friend!" She tried to pull away but his grip tightened. "Please, InuYasha! Let go of me!"
"What if you try to go through the well again? How do I know you'll really help her?" InuYasha argued.
"Because we will go with her," Miroku announced, Shippo on his shoulder.
"And I sense another shard," Kagome added, "So we're going, too."
Chibi: That's all for today! Wait till probably tomorrow when the Bean beats me up to post the next one. Shrugs See ya!