Disclaimer – Inu Yasha is not mine, no, no, no… but perhaps someday, say, a few months from now, like my birthday for instance, someone might just say 'what the heck, let's give it to Miss Chang Po! It is her birthday, after all!'

Wufei – Not blinkin' likely.

:sighs: But hey, a girl came dream, right?

Author's Notes – I gotta say I was surprised you guys took a liking to this so quickly. To be honest, I thought most people would find it annoying that none of the chapters were actual finished works. However, it should be noted that some of the chapters are ideas that I plan to turn into multi-chapter works sometime further on down the road.

For instance, in the case of Just Like Her, the idea came from the little three page doujinshi I drew just for kicks (I should probably scan it in once I get my deviantart account set up how I want it.) But anywho, once a again I want to thank you guys for the awesome reviews. They make me blush. –wink!-

Oh yeah, so I don't forget, for those of you wondering about the Japanese in the last chapter, I apologize – I assumed I used common words that everyone knew. So, just to clear things up,

Hanyou –half demon, which is what Inu Yasha (and Jinenji and Shiori if ya wanna get technical) is.

Youkai –demon or spirit

Chichiue –a formal way of saying father

Hope that clears things up. For now, onto the next chapter!

#5- Brief Encounter

She was a patient person, she really was. Still, only a saint could take so much! Before that moment, she had decided she would be happy if she never saw that insufferable clod again. But now, sitting lost and disoriented in an area she was completely unfamiliar with, she would have given anything to see a familiar face, even that of the boorish jerk she had once called her boyfriend.

Staring out into the woods beyond she shuddered involuntarily. How had she even gotten here? She last recalled being at the shrine, walking away from the man she was still too angry to mention by name when she had suddenly found herself here in the forest, in the middle of nowhere, by herself. Alone.

Well, not completely alone.

It couldn't have been a dream – she'd pinched herself several times to be sure. She'd never seen any forests like this in Tokyo, and yet here she was, standing in front of one of the largest trees she'd ever seen. However, what astounded her was not the fact that she had never seen such a tree but the fact that she had. It had been sitting in the yard of the shrine where she had been standing not too long ago.

The Goshinboku.

A sliver of hope filled her and she took off running. Her house had to be around somewhere, right? Of course, after making a few circuits around the area, the small house she'd been so accustomed to seeing nearby was nowhere to be found.

Which meant now she was lost.

"I don't understand…" Her voice was so small and lost. This where her home had been, but now it was gone. She wanted to cry, but what purpose would it serve? She was home, but she wasn't. She was lost in more ways than one and couldn't even begin to fathom how to get home. So she merely stood there, in front of the Goshinboku, adrift in her own thoughts.

That was how he found her. Generally, he didn't hold humans in very high regard – especially human females for reasons he'd rather not dwell on – but she stood out from all the other females he had encountered in his travels. There were her clothes for one – if you could call them that – he'd never seen any woman wearing such a strange looking kimono. However, what really held his attention were her eyes. They held a kind of spark that made him wonder what things she could have possibly seen in her few years to make her seem so wise.

Curious. Curious indeed.

She studied the figure before her very carefully. Never before had she seen anyone quite so… well… beautiful. A gracefully angle face framed by long pale hair coupled with the most unique eye color. Perhaps she should have been frightened of something so obviously unnatural – her instincts were telling her so, she did live in a shrine – but more than anything she was curious. He didn't really look like the sort to go helping young girls lost in the woods, if he could at least shed some light on her situation…

He held an air of regality about him that spurred her to step forward and bow formally. He merely studied as a predator might something of slight interest.

"Might you…" she paused, flushing slightly. "Tell me where I am?"

One of his finely shaped eyebrows raised a millimeter. A few moments passed before he responded with, "Musashi."

Her eyes widened slightly. Musashi? She was familiar with the term from her history books, but what had happened to Tokyo? She glanced up at him again, somewhat uneasy at the blank look he was giving here. "Might you…" She paused again. "Tell me the year?"

That same eyebrow raised a little higher this time. However, after a few longer moments he responded with a number give or take 500 years off of what she knew to be true.

She digested this for a few seconds before passing out.

When she regained consciousness, everything was dark. Sitting up slowly she paused at the amber eyes gleaming back at her. He was there seated beneath the trees a several feet away from her. The Goshinboku was no longer within sight. In fact the only thing she could recognize was the figure in front of her. Had he stayed to watch over her? Hesitating only a moment she bowed her head in respect.

"What time is it?"

He gazed out into the darkness, remaining silent.

Brushing imaginary dust from her clothing, she rose and bowed once again. "I suppose a few hours have passed, yes?" she asked. "I appreciate it very much, your staying with me, that is."

Golden eyes fell upon her briefly again before falling away. "Interesting."

Who, she wondered. What was so interesting about a simple shrine girl like her?

"Your mate," She blinked, turning back to him. "Has abandoned you?"

It was the first question he had asked her. Granted, it was also the first non-monosyllabicresponse he had given her as well. His voice was, well… it was quite unlike anything she had ever heard.

Still, his question was a bit unsettling. Mate? Did he mean her husband? She found herself blushing at that thought.

"I'm… I'm not married…" she stammered. "He's my… he's just my boyfriend."

He didn't look as if he were familiar with the term. "You are involved with a man."

She blushed again. Well, technically… well, she had been, but what of the awful fight they had had? And now, as a result she was here in a world, a time unfamiliar to her. Why, she might never see him or her family again!

After hearing her explanation of her predicament – well at least she had explained, she wasn't sure if he was listening as he looked as though he could care less – he studied her once again, his expression thoughtful.

"So you aren't married."

She shook her head, embarassed. "I thought he might ask me… but he hasn't yet."

Several moments passed before he spoke quietly. "Your man is a fool."

At that she laughed ruefully. "Yes," she agreed. "But so am I."

He nodded, rising gracefully to his feet. Without pause he turned and walked away. Watching him, there was only a moment's hesitation before she moved to follow after him.

But no, she couldn't; no matter what had happened, she had to find a way to get back home. Still, how could she get home if she didn't even know how?

She called out to him hesitantly and he paused, glancing back at her with a look of impatience.

Sighing almost imperceptibly he replied, "Go back to the Goshinboku. Surely it will take you back to wherever you belong."

The Goshinboku… she couldn't have realized the tree possessed that kind of power. She nodded in understanding before calling out to him again. "Um, I appreciate all that you've done."

His expression was one of indifference. "I have done nothing," he replied. "The thought of assisting a human is simply ludicrous."

She blinked. "Then why did you help me?"

"I merely wanted to see what it is he found so fascinating…" With that, he disappeared from sight.

To this day she wasn't sure what it is he had meant.

However, she recalled years later when her young daughter came rushing into the house talking about her young dog-eared friend. When she began talk ofhis older brother who seemed to despise humans, only then did she start to understand.

Nodding and listening to her daughter's retelling of her account she thought back the pale, stoic young figure she had seen vanishing into the forest all those years ago. According to her daughter, it seemed his stance on humans really hadn't changed at all. What a pity it was. 'Will there ever come a time when you are able to see… Sesshoumaru…?'

End