Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha…or Kagome… or (sniff) Sesshomaru…runs off crying hysterically.

Chapter 2

As the alarm went off on the nightstand, Kagome rolled over drowsily then nearly jumped off the bed when she remembered what was to happen that day. She got up and, on her way back from the shower, nudged Salina awake. While Kagome dressed, her cousin gathered her things and dragged her feet into the bathroom. Kagome was brooding over her explanation of Salina being able to go through the well, when she heard the object of her thoughts scream from the bathroom.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Kagome called.

"Oh, I'm fine. I just dropped the razor and, when I tried to catch it, I cut my hand." Salina yelled above the rushing water. At that Kagome's mouth twisted into a devilish grin before the mirror. That little mistake was the perfect solution; maybe if they were blood sisters, the well would accept her. Since that was the only thing she could come up with all morning, she figured it would just have to do.

Sunrise found the girls holding hands before the rim of the well; Kagome had given Salina a thorough briefing on the group and she felt a little better knowing that her cousin wasn't the kind of to be easily intimidated. She was bringing her bike mostly for Salina's sake, and Salina was carrying the overstuffed yellow knapsack for hers.

"What's going to happen? When we jump in, I mean." Salina looked at Kagome with her favorite bland expression, but Kagome could see the barely contain excitement brimming in the jade eyes.

"When we jump in, there will be a bright bluish-purple light, and a rushing feeling like the first big slope of a roller coaster. Then, after a few moments, we'll land softly on the bottom in Feudal Era, Japan." She explained it as casually as her cousin's expression, but the cousins shared a giggle before they jumped into the well and a new adventure for both of them.

xx

Inuyasha paced impatiently by the well. Sango and Miroku stood nearby and enjoyed the silence of the morning…oops too soon…

"Where the hell is she?" The half-demon growled again.

"My goodness, Inuyasha, its still dawn, give the poor thing a break!" Sango protested. He had dragged them all out of bed early so they could leave the moment Kagome returned.

"Yeah, dog-boy I miss her too, but you don't see me getting all huffy about it." Shippo added from the lip of the well. WHACK Shippo went flying into the trees while Inuyasha resumed his pacing.

But just then, he stopped mid-step and his face relax for but a moment before he re-composed his sulky expression. At that, Kagome struggled out of the well with a toss of her bike, but no sign of her enormous bag. Yet, before any of them could ask, another hand grasped the lip of the well. Inuyasha stifled a gasp as a ripple of excitement and joy rolled down his back. He didn't understand it and began to ponder on it when a bit-too-eager monk pushed past him.

Miroku threw himself down at Salina's feet just as she dropped the large backpack onto the ground beside her. He groveled pathetically at her feet, while Kagome and Sango both cast their eyes heaven-ward begging the gods to witness his behavior. The poor lecherous monk never got a word in edge wise though, as Salina looked nothing but annoyed with the pile at her feet. In one smooth movement, Salina stepped graciously over the monk and simultaneously kicked him in the butt, sending him headlong into the base of the well.

"Okay everyone, I know this is a surprise, but his is my cousin and recently turned blood sister, Salina. She means the world to me and she can pull her own weight around here while hunt for the jewel shards." Kagome finished making her announcement to the group and waited patiently for the first remark. And then it came…

"What do you think you're doing bringing another damn human from your time here? Like I don't have enough shit to deal with, now I'm supposed to protect her…" Inuyasha stopped short as his eyes met Salina's crystalline gaze. Tears threatened to choke him as some lost feeling stirred within his heart. An irrational fear quickly replaced it, a fear of what hope would do to him if he were wrong. Then, as swiftly as it had come, the moment passed.

Sango held out a friendly hand. "Hi. I'm Sango, and it's so good to meet you. This is Shippo, he's a fox-demon but still only a child and very sweet." The kitsune blushed and hid his face in Sango's arm.

"Oh here sweetie, there is no need to be shy." Salina reached out to pet him, but before she could he jumped forcefully into her embrace. All three of the girls shared a companionable laugh before Salina gave Kagome an expectant look out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay, Inuyasha. I know you're not happy about it, but at least give her a chance." Kagome spoke in an especially sweet voice. "Pleeeaasse," she gave him her dewy eyes and cutest pout.

"Keh! Fine, she can come, but I'm not going to stop all the time and I'm not going to protect her in battles. If she can really hold her own, then let her do so." Although he spoke firmly, Kagome got the distinct feeling that he was lying. Tears suddenly gone, she smiled and nodded her head in a vigorous 'yes'. For just a moment she would have sworn she'd seen him smile at her, but in the end she shrugged it off and forgot about it completely.

Salina, on the other hand, knew that indeed he had smiled at her, in one of those rare moments when he'd allow his feelings for Kagome shine through his guarded mask. Salina felt a peace just seeing him well and in good, even if slightly odd, company. Yet, at the same time, she felt ecstatic finally seeing him grown up, and she longed to know him better still. She distracted herself with picking up the back pack and the discarded bicycle. As Salina finished, Miroku passed her, shot Sango a guilty look then walked ahead to lead the way. Salina figured he was doing it to save face, not to mention any shreds of dignity that he might have left.

xx

The small assembly made its way out of Inuyasha's Forest once again with Miroku at their head. Sango on her giant cat-demon's back, and Salina on Kagome's bike, rode slowly behind him. Kagome carried the sleeping Shippo and just behind her Inuyasha brought up the rear totally wrapped in his thoughts as they traveled. Salina and Sango struck up meaningless conversations, but aside from them no one spoke.

At sunset, they found a clearing roughly ten miles from where they'd begun that day, and Kagome told her cousin how they'd stayed there many times before.

"Sango and I like this place because there are hot springs about three meters into those forest over there," Kagome pointed to one of the far corners of the clearing. "It's not a great replacement of a hot shower, but it sure beats a cold river."

"Yeah, especially on long travels, it feels so nice a relaxing." Sango broke in. "And don't worry about Miroku, he'll never get past Inuyasha." She shot the lecherous monk an icy glare, but when she turned back to her friends, Salina had a small smirk on her face and was looking straight at her. Sango immediately blushed, sure beyond rationality that she'd been found out.

After an hour or so, when they'd gotten their small camp set up, the girls grabbed their bathing supplies and headed to the edge of the clearing. They left Miroku sitting with his back to a tree and Inuyasha supposedly dosing ion a perch on the opposite side, meanwhile, Shippo and Kirara played by the camp fire.

xx

The girls were enjoying the hot water on their sore muscles when Salina chose to break the silence.

"So, Sango," she began casually. "How long have you and Miroku been an item?" Salina suppressed a devious smile as she watch the demon slayer squirm uncomfortably.

Sango froze for a moment like a cornered doe, and then blushed deep scarlet while Kagome choked on her own breath. "We are NOT an 'item'!" She managed after a moment. "That monk is a pervert, and we are JUST friends!"

"Yeah, sure, Sango, whatever you say, but I see the way he looks at you and in my opinion his lecherous ways are all a farce. Either that, or he holds you too high above himself." Salina was well aware of the line she was crossing, but she had always spoken her thoughts and now wasn't any different.

"Salina, don't be so rude. That is nobody's business but theirs and I'm sure Sango doesn't appreciate you nosing around in her love life." Kagome tried to interject on Sango's behalf.

"No, Kagome. She's right. I do care for about him, but of all the hundreds of women he's ever asked to bear his child, I was never one of them." Sango's voice was low and injured and she stared off into the distance as she spoke.

"Well, HELLO? Silly! That should tell you everything. From what Kagome tells me, he's got a pretty short life expectancy and only needs and heir to carry on his quest. Then how, if he loved you, would he be okay, knowing that could die at any moment and leave you with a child raise all by yourself?" Salina's voice at that moment was so soothing and wise, that Kagome knew, Izayoi, Inuyasha's long dead mother, was speaking through her cousin. Sango broke out in a single burst of tears that the demon-huntress hastily wiped away.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I know I needed to hear that." When Sango got out to dry off and get dressed, neither of the girls objected. She'd need time alone, to think on her feelings before she would be able to address Miroku about it. Next, Salina turned her attention to an uneasy Kagome sitting beside her.

"Child, don't worry in the least. I've looked into your heart and his, and I know the love you both share. Do not fear your feelings toward my son, for the world may be cruel at times, but it is just. And if you choose freely to accept your feelings, you may find a world of emotions you never before knew existed." Kagome nodded solemnly, considering, while a stunned Sango gasped aloud. Salina turned suddenly weak as the presence left her, and Kagome and Sango had to drag her to the shore before she drowned.

"What's going on, Kagome?" Sango uttered urgently.

Kagome leaned into Sango's ear and barely whispered, "She's the re-incarnation of Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, but some demon from our time fed her the memories of her past life like a fresh wind over a smoldering fire." Sango stared wide-eyed at the figure before her with new-found awe. Kagome and Sango finished packing up and helped Salina get dressed. They both had to help her walk back to the camp, and on the way they all agreed that it'd be best to keep their secret between them.

xx

Right after the girls had left; Miroku sat quietly and watched the hanyou slumped in the tree across from him. He appeared to be sleeping, and Miroku should have known better, but he decided to take his chances. Miroku made a quick dash for the trees, but he didn't make it in one meter before he was face down on the leaf-strewn ground with the angry half-demon towering above him. Inuyasha scoffed once as he picked the houshi up by his tunics, to his feet.

"I was just going to relieve myself, Inuyasha." He cried indigently.

"Yeah, I bet you were," he growled at the monk. "When are you ever going to get it through that thick head of yours? I won't stand for your perverted peeping. Even if it was just Sango out there, I still wouldn't let you go! Is any of that somehow unclear, houshi?"

The monk went limp in his grasp and nodded reluctantly. Even though he had tried to walk, Inuyasha insisted on dragging him back bodily through the forest. Just before they reached the clearing Miroku thought up a new battle plan. "So sad…" he mumbled, knowing full well the half-demon would hear him.

"Grrr… What's 'so sad'? Besides you of course," Inuyasha unceremoniously dumped the monk at his feet.

"You are, of course. Mr. Valiant and Honorable, but also Mr. Too Cowardice To Show His Own Feelings, afraid that he'll get hurt again, so he hurts himself instead." Miroku knew the moment he spoke, that he'd gone way too far, and he clenched in anticipation of the beating that never came. When he chanced a cautious glance in Inuyasha's direction, he could have swore he'd seen a tear in the hanyou's eye before he was hurled the rest of the way into the clearing by Inuyasha, who disappeared promptly afterwards into the forest canopy. As Miroku made his way back to the campsite, an anxious Shippo jumped upon his shoulder.

"Why's Inuyasha so upset? And when are Kagome and Salina getting back? I like Salina. Miroku, do you really love Sango?" While he'd been ignoring the young kitsune till that point, Miroku attention snapped back at the last question.

"WHAT? Who the heck said I did?" Miroku caught himself yelling at the poor little demon, while his face and neck turned decidedly red. But Shippo just pretended not to notice.

"Salina did. She said that you two obviously care about each other, but you're too scare about your future, or possible lack thereof, to tell Sango the truth. She said you're both cheating yourselves out of happiness, just like Inuyasha and Kagome. That part I didn't really get, but it all sounded right enough." Shippo laughed heartily at the expression on the monk's face, like he'd just seen the sky go back and the stars shine in the noon sky, with disbelief and wonder. "So," Shippo finally stopped laughing long enough to speak. "Is it true or not?"

Miroku tried many times to speak after that, but thought better of it every time. Just as he'd found the words to explain, Kagome and Sango re-entered the clearing supporting and exhausted Salina. They were talking actively amongst themselves until they noticed Shippo and Miroku, at which they abruptly stopped. Miroku noticed Sango looking at anything but him, and his stomach turned at the question of what they'd been discussing just a moment before.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Salina looked concerned for a moment.

Shippo grabbed his opportunity to cut in before the monk could find his thoughts. "Miroku made him mad, so he took off. He's in the forest somewhere, but not too far I'm sure. He never goes very far from Kagome." At that, Salina smiled and bobbed her head in approval.

"Well, Kagome? Should we start making dinner? From what you've told me, he'll come running at the smell of food." When the two cousins set off to the campfire, Sango lingered behind near Miroku and they both shared a silent moment in the other's company, while Shippo ran back to play with Kirara.

Xx

'Mother? Can you hear me where you are? If so, I could really use your advice… I loved Kikyo and I owe her my life, but does that really mean leaving Kagome for good? She needs me too… sigh.' Inuyasha shifted restlessly on his tree branch. He was in the top few branches of a tall oak and far out of eye shot from his friends, though from his height he could see them all clearly as they fussed over the camp fire and talked idly with each other. He was watching Kagome and her cousin move through the camp and his chest tightened as he continued to stare. 'Humph! What the hell does that monk know, anyway? If he's such an expert, why the hell is Sango slapping him all the time?' At that he allowed himself a smile as the memories of that sound echoed in his mind. "Yeah, well whatever. I want to protect her even if I can never have her… I'm not dumb enough to think she'd want someone like me… a… half-breed." Inuyasha spoke aloud mostly for the finalization in his own voice, but nearly fell out of the tree completely as Salina turned her electric eyes toward him. From his perch, he could see the sadness in those eyes, and it made something within him stir abit.

Inuyasha nearly swore at himself for being so stupid, but he could swear she'd heard him. 'That's ridiculous!' he thought to himself. 'She's just a human.'

However, for just a human, she had certainly perplexed him. At first, she'd made him edgy because she glowed with confidence and suppressed power. But in the last twelve hours or so, she'd grown on him like ivy across an old stone wall, drowning him in a sea of green as he stared back into those jade orbs. Her scent almost made him purr as a draft of lavender, mint and a touch of fresh rushing water, swept past him in the gentle breeze. At times he caught himself thinking how'd he'd missed her so much, only to shake his head violently and remind himself that they'd never met before. With another violent shake of his head, Inuyasha leapt soundlessly onto the leaf-littered grass and walked slowly back to camp as a second breeze brought him the strong scent of food.

Xx

"Salina?" Sango asked her new friend thoughtfully.

"Yes Sango?"

"Well, I was thinking that when we reach the next village, we should maybe get you a weapon and possibly some armor just to be on the safe side and one of us can't get to you." Sango had tried to look professional and wise, but her expression shattered when she realized she was being laughed at. Salina was holding her sides as tears leaked from her eyes and she kept laughing, getting everybody's complete attention.

Kagome, after a minute of giggling herself, recuperated and yelled at her cousin for being rude. Inuyasha stared, just as plainly as the rest of the group as Salina apologized and caught her breath and Kagome rolled her eyes heaven-ward.

"snort… sorry, I just…snicker…I've just never… haha… been told that…by anyone before!" But as soon as she'd finished, Salina stood lazily, sauntering toward the demon huntress. She reached out as if to gently remove a strand of hair from Sango's face, but ended up wrapping a leather strap swiftly around her neck and forced her to her to the ground with a well placed kick behind her knees. Before Sango even gasped, Salina had her feet shackled and her wrists caught in one of her hands with a long knife in the other held loosely to Sango's throat. It took Sango a few seconds to figure out what happened for sure, but one thing was instantly obvious, Salina was well trained and had been completely controlled and gentle.

"Whoa!" Miroku and Shippo both yelled after a long breathless moment. Sango and Inuyasha still looked dazed, and Kagome shouted at her beaming cousin as Salina removed the shackles from Sango's ankles.

"H… How did you do that?" Sango finally said finding her voice again.

"Well, I suppose that's why it was so funny. I've been training my entire life to mold my body into a weapon, Sango." Salina spoke very seriously. With a flick of her wrist, her long knife disappeared once again into the long sleeve of her top. "Back home, I study under seven masters in seven completely different fighting styles, and I only just graduated from their school of twenty-five students. I was of course to oldest and the first at that school, so I received more training and more responsibility than any of the other students. I'm sure Kagome could tell you, I'm no push-over." Kagome confirmed by giving them all a positive bob of her head, and Salina continued to explain. "They separated us as kids, our parents that is, because I was too protective of Kagome, and it cast a lot of kids their dignity and health." At that she paused to laugh as the memories sprang to life in her mind, and Inuyasha began to smile.

'Maybe that's why I like her.' He thought. 'She reminds me of myself in some ways.' But his smile melted fast as Salina's eyes became hollow and distant.

"But then Kagome's father died, and my dad could bear the pain of seeing so many things his brother had loved in life. So he moved my mother and I back to her country of Argentina. Since then I've lived there, trained there, and I've…" Salina paused and looked only at Kagome, as if awaiting orders, but after a moment of silence from her confidant, she sighed and smiled before finishing her point. "Ahhh never mind. Sango, don't worry about me, okay? I've been training to kill and keep safe my entire life. And also, under this, is my leather jerkin," she pulled at her top gingerly, "and here are my weapons, including two more sys in my boots. But thank you for caring; it was very sweet of you." She offered her hand to the solemn taijiya still kneeling on the grass.

xx

Inuyasha could guess why the girls were all hiding something, but he knew they were. And more importantly, he knew that that secret was the answer to all his festering questions about this paradox of strength and beauty.

xx

Miroku watched all of this quietly. While Salina was quite impressive a fighter, the monk was more concerned with something else. Since her arrival, he'd been toying with idea of her spiritual powers that seemed to be growing stronger the longer she was in their time. It became increasingly apparent, that she had miko powers and that, perhaps in some past life, she was a good one.

Besides that, he questioned himself for being so silly. While he knew that Salina had executed her move with precise diligence and grace, so as not to harm Sango in anyway, his heart had still flared at the gesture. Salina may have surpassed Sango easily in natural beauty, but his heart had never once betrayed her. Sango was the only woman for him, and his heart would not be fooled by his eyes. 'Not to mention that fact that Salina is as lethal as she is attractive!' he thought to himself. However as his mind wondered, so did his hand…WHACK… and the red handprint graced his features once again.

Xx

Since no one else seemed to notice, Shippo quietly contemplated Salina's sudden change of scent when she'd 'attacked' Sango. 'That's weird,' he thought. 'For a second I would swear I smelled a hint of youkai from her. And her eyes, they had changed somehow…' He allowed his thoughts to drift as he suddenly remembered Kagome telling him that there were little to no youkai left in her time and that was where Salina was from. Surely the chances of Salina being even a fraction demon, was extremely unlikely in his eyes, and he shrugged the thoughts away not a moment later.

Xx

That night they all ate in silence. It seemed that everyone should be cheery, yet they all sat wrapped in their own thoughts, not even seeming to notice the silence of the forest around them. Once they'd all finished, everyone said their 'good-nights' and went to sleep early.

Xx

Far away, Naraku stares intently into Kanna's mirror and watches his enemies' new companion. Dark thoughts clouded his vision as he watched he sleep. He was puzzled by them, and wondered how this human girl could cause him to fret like some weakling. She didn't seem very special at a glance, merely the pretty face of a frail creature. Yet, his reasoning meant nothing to his youkai instincts that told him the girl spelled danger for him.

"Ridiculous!" He spoke aloud more to himself then to the pale demon before him. "I want this girl brought to me alive. I will see with my own eyes what power she holds before I allow some filthy mortal to strike fear in me." He voice oozed thickly in the large empty room, as her dismissed his reincarnation and set off to meet an old ally.

Xoxoxoxo

…Okay I had to add more to this chapter because I wasn't content with were I left off last time. Please keep in mind that this IS my first fanfic ever and I'd love to hear your feed back, so please R&R!...