Chapter One: The Catch-Up Game
Kagome bit her lip apprehensively as she entered the huge building before her. It was only her second day of attendance at the community college and her first day of history class, and she didn't want to be late. She sighed heavily, thinking how she nearly hadn't made it to the summer courses her mother had enrolled her in at all.
Inuyasha had been, as expected, less than pleased at her news that she was going to be spending more time in her home world. Though to be honest, Kagome's demands had been somewhat less than reasonable at first as well. Determined to recover her academic reputation, Kagome had wanted to stuff her entire week full of courses from the college, hoping for a quick recovery before she fell too far behind her peers. It would have been impossible under even the best of circumstances; with Naraku and Kikyou actively gathering the few remaining shards that existed in the feudal era, the small band of friends found themselves having to travel far and wide after the barest hints of the jewel, a task that would inevitably take several days each time.
On the other hand, Inuyasha would have preferred if Kagome had simply accepted her fate and given up on what he considered her abortive attempts to continue a modern education. In the end Miroku had been forced to mediate the dispute, settling on a compromise that made neither party happy but did function relatively well for the group.
So here she was, devoting three days of the week entirely to the pursuit of knowledge. Kagome was actually secretly impressed with the variety of courses that had been available to her; she had always considered school something of a necessary evil, with the classes she was expected to pass handed to her on a plate in pre-defined arrangements and quantities. Granted, there wasn't much that could ever change Kagome's aversion to math, but the dizzying array of choices and specializations available to her at the college had ignited a thirst within her that she hadn't realized she had. Experiencing the wilder side of life in the feudal era had been thrilling at first, but suddenly the prospect of being able to sit down and face challenges other than battles to the death was much more exciting. It certainly strengthened her resolve to complete her education. The greater variety of classes offered at the college had certain distinct benefits for her feudal adventures as well.
The opportunity to fill her missing biology credit with an active sport and field medicine course had jumped out to her as both useful and fun. The study of actual medicine was too far beyond Kagome's grasp to even consider, but it gave her a small thread of hope to grasp onto for her own future. Thanks to Kaede's constant instruction on the preparation herbs and poultices, Kagome was a veritable dictionary of long-forgotten alternative remedies and medicines. At least I might still be able to make a future for myself as a pharmacist, she thought to herself wryly.
Shaking herself out of her reverie, Kagome looked down at her hand-written schedule and hustled through the busy hallway, searching for the appropriate classroom. She was looking forward to the next course; she had signed up for the study of the Sengoku period as soon as she had realized it was being offered. It was one of the highlights of her schedule, and an eager smile graced her face as she burst through the auditorium doors.
The smile faltered and faded as she observed her classmates. As with most of her other classes, the students who had enrolled in the community courses were much older than her. Most of them, in fact, weren't even college-aged students at all; they were more around her mother or even her grandfather's age, adults looking to either complete an education they had passed on earlier in life, or trying to fill their free time with a hobby. Kagome found she couldn't relate to the older students at all; she wasn't attending classes as a simple hobby or time filler, her future depended upon them. More upsetting to the young girl, however, was the fact that she found she actually could relate to some of the middle-aged students after a fashion. In each tired, lined face that attended the summer courses she saw the potential of what she could become if she didn't succeed. It's just as well, Kagome thought to herself as her eyes roved over the room full of older students; if I want to really catch up, I'm not going to have time to make friends anyway. The thought was small comfort however, in the cold, intimidating and very large auditorium, and as Kagome slinked towards a remote upper seat on the edge of one of the long rows of chairs, she couldn't help but feel very embarrassed and alone despite the crowd.
The lights in the auditorium dimmed suddenly, and the low murmuring among the other students died out.
"You are here because you have expressed a desire to learn about Warring States Period of Japan," a deep voice intoned from overhead. There was the sound of an old-fashioned slide projector being started, and Kagome squirmed uncomfortably in her seat as weak yellow light filled the room from overhead, spilling onto the dingy white wall of the auditorium. A whirring click sounded, and then a fuzzy picture was splayed across the wall. Kagome blinked as the picture slowly came into focus.
"Eh?" she managed intelligibly as she recognized the face of a very famous, handsome actor dressed in full samurai costume, frozen in a bellow of heroic rage as he swung his sword overhead. It was a promotional poster from one of the latest action movies, and Kagome winced at its tackiness. The projector whirred and clicked again, and another picture showed up on the screen. This time it was a screen capture of a very popular console video game showing a few scantily-clad "ninja" women facing off with yet more samurai. Quiet murmurs began to ripple across the student body, and the projector whirred and clicked again. Now the image displayed a popular animated television show, this time prominently featuring a roughened ronin and a lovely priestess in the throes of an epic love story. Kagome sunk low into her seat and covered her forehead with one hand. Oh please, don't tell me that my history class is going to be taught by an otaku... she thought with a small mental groan.
"These are all popular images held today pertaining to the Sengoku period of Japan's history." The speaker paused, and the lights in the auditorium rose slightly. For the first time, Kagome caught a glimpse of the professor, who was slowly making his way down the stairs from the small projector room at the top of the auditorium. The middle-aged man didn't look the part of a rabid pop culture fan; neatly cropped black hair was carefully parted and combed over his head. He was also very tall and dressed in unassuming khaki slacks and a bland tweed jacket. A pair of glasses with thick black rims was seated on the bridge of his nose, and a small briefcase carried under his arm completed his scholarly image. Altogether he should have looked the very stereotype of a typical Japanese teacher. Something about his gait and bearing, however, made Kagome gulp nervously as he brushed by her seat; his looks might have been ordinary, but his presence was clearly commanding and even a bit intimidating.
Reaching the small table at the bottom of the auditorium, he turned around and peered at the confused students critically, lifting one eyebrow ever so slightly as he surveyed the class. "Those of you who are here for reasons pertaining to the three slides I have just shown, please stand." There was a moment of silence, and then some slight shuffling as a few students rose out of their chairs. "Very good," he said after a moment. "Those students who stood are to leave the auditorium immediately," he said crisply. "From this moment on you are no longer a part of this class."
A shocked silence spread through the room as the professor calmly placed his briefcase on the table and snapped it open. He looked up over the rim of his spectacles as one of the standing students spoke uncertainly.
"Um, excuse me, sir, but I think there's been a mistake—"
"Correct," the professor replied crisply, narrowing his eyes at the offending student. "This is a college-level lecture pertaining to the real Sengoku Jidai, not an extra-curricular activity glossing over the baser misconceptions of Japanese history. Your presence here is obviously a miscalculation on your part. Now kindly remove yourself from this auditorium so that the lecture may begin."
The student's mouth snapped shut, and discontented murmurs rippled through the remaining students. Slowly, the standing students began to shuffle out of the room, joined by more than a few of their seated peers. When the noise and commotion finally died down, Kagome noted that the class size was significantly smaller. The teacher's eyes flicked over the remaining students and settled on her, and she had the distinct impression that he was mildly surprised – or disappointed – that she was still there. She shrunk down even lower into her seat, gulping nervously. Maybe this class is out of my league, she caught herself thinking. Then she went rigid, suddenly filled with anger at both herself and the rude instructor. Wait a second; I've actually been living through the Sengoku Jidai. That's more than this guy has ever done, no matter how intimidating he seems. I have every right to be here! Her back straightened, and she sat up and returned the professor's look with an angry glare of her own. I've faced down demons before, you won't stop me, she thought to herself.
Abruptly, the professor pushed off of the table and folded his hands behind his back. He addressed the class professionally, his voice quiet and steady, resonating with unvoiced authority. "My name is Professor Ieyasu Michifusa, though you may address me as 'sir.' I am not here to coddle you, nor boost your self-esteem. I am here to instruct you, and instruct you I shall. Should you prove intelligent enough to grasp the simple concepts I will present over the course of this semester, then you will pass." He paused and regarded the remaining students coolly. "Work hard, and you will find this course to be rewarding. Fail to meet my standards, however, and you will regret it."
Kagome swallowed and felt a small bead of sweat trickle down her neck as his eyes settled on her once more. What is he, a mind reader? she thought to herself nervously. She had to admit, she was unusually young to be attending such a specialized history course. Her academic background wasn't exactly stellar, either. Still, she felt a sense of indignation that he seemed to be singling her out as a potential 'problem student.' No matter that she most likely would be a problem student, considering the strain her already overburdened schedule placed on her daily life. Fortunately, Professor Michifusa's scrutiny of her was as brief and to the point as his introduction to the class had been, and he quickly moved on to the lesson. Kagome was caught scrambling to get her notebook and pen ready in time to take notes as he launched into his lecture.
"The Warring States period is a violent and dark chapter of Japan's history starting in the mid-fifteenth century and continuing well into the early seventeenth century." Michifusa paused and glanced at the students in the auditorium significantly. "I will repeat this for those of you who still retain any romantic notions about the Sengoku Jidai. It was a period of brutal and almost continuous civil war in our country which was uninterrupted for nearly two centuries. For the conditions of that time, that is nearly eight generations which were encompassed by war, intrigue and constant bloodshed."
Kagome felt her indignation die out as her pen stilled over the paper. Professor Michifusa was speaking with a detached, almost clinical approach to the subject, but his words struck home with an accuracy that was painful. Images of the villages she had seen torn apart by humans and demons both filled her head, and she had to fight the bile that rose in her throat. Somehow, when faced with the reality of death on an everyday basis in the feudal era, she managed to push down her despair and repulsion in the name of duty. It really was the only way she could stay sane in the face of that sort of madness, to cling to the sense that she was filling some kind of a higher purpose, that it would somehow explain and justify the horrors that she was forced to witness. Surrounded by the sterile, comfortable setting of the modern world, however, the call of duty was faint at best, doing little to dull the images of suffering and death that plagued her mind's eye.
The professor's calm voice broke through the layer of ice that had frosted over her thoughts, and Kagome blinked and snapped herself back to attention, silently cursing herself for having let her concentration wander so far off course.
"… existence of demons, spirits and ghosts from the time, due to the harsh conditions imposed by constant warfare. More than likely, propagating such myths served to appease and comfort the peasant population when faced with suffering on a daily basis. The notion that supernatural forces outside of human control could shape everyday lives, however, is one that should obviously be discarded immediately." Michifusa's tone took on a scornful quality as he continued his speech. "This lecture will pertain only to the real history of Japan, based on empirical evidence gathered from this time period. Those of you who are interested in chasing ghost stories are more than welcome to leave the class and enroll in a study of Japanese literature and mythology." Once again, the professor's gaze landed on Kagome and lingered there, his brown eyes boring holes through her.
Kagome felt her face go red, flushing with anger and embarrassment. But demons ARE real, she wanted to stand up and shout at him. Another part of her knew that doing so was something he would probably expect, and she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Aside from the fact that it would make her look even more foolish than she already did. I might be a high-school dropout, but I'm not stupid, Kagome thought angrily. A slight smirk crossed Professor Michifusa's face, and Kagome groaned as his lecture droned on. It's going to be a long summer, she thought to herself wearily.
- x – x – x -
"Mama! I'm home!" Kagome called out, dropping her backpack inside the front door and slipping off her shoes.
"Oh, Kagome dear! You're back already? How was your class?" her mother asked, poking her head out of the kitchen with a warm smile.
Kagome let out a groan and shuffled over to the couch. "Don't ask," she called over her shoulder. She paused as she watched Souta tapping away busily in front of the television, a console controller gripped tightly between his hands. "Move, squirt," she told him tiredly.
Souta grunted, his eyes never leaving the screen. "When's Inuyasha gonna come back to pick you up?" he asked, remaining motionless except for the rapid movement of his thumbs.
Kagome sighed and rubbed her head. "The day after tomorrow. So just be a little patient, Souta, you'll get to see him soon enough. Now move over!" She dropped her hand in surprise as she heard the clicking of Souta's fingers stop, and saw him looking up at her solemnly. Wow… he really is older than I remember, she suddenly thought, realizing how tall her little brother had become in her absence. "What?" she finally asked, a little disconcerted by his unexpected scrutiny.
Souta sighed and shook his head, refocusing his attention on the television. "Nothin'," he mumbled, studiously ignoring her.
Kagome felt her temper rise slightly. Planting her hands on her hips, she positioned herself in front of the television, earning a cry of protest from Souta. "Don't nothin' me, mister," she said sternly, glaring at her brother. "Something's up, now spill!" She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at Souta when he leaned over, ignoring her and still trying to focus on the game behind her back. "Hey! Talk, or I'll tickle-torture you," she threatened. There was the sound of a loud explosion, and then some cheerful "Game Over" music as the television flashed behind her, and Souta let out a long groan. He threw the controller at the floor and glared at Kagome irately, and she was taken aback by his sudden exasperation.
"Geez, Kagome, why don't you grow up?" he yelled at her, rising from the sofa.
"Look who's talking!" Kagome shot back, feeling her annoyance go up a notch. "What crawled into your pants anyway?" she asked him, crossing her arms. "Don't tell me your video game was that important to you!"
Mrs. Higurashi's head popped out of the kitchen again, and this time a frown marred her features. "Both of you stop fighting this instant. Souta, if you're going to be rude to Kagome for the few times she's here, then you can spend the rest of the weekend in your room."
Souta clenched his fists, his voice already rising in protest. "Aww, come on, Mama…"
"No ifs, ands or buts, and no more video games. March, young man," Mrs. Higurashi said sternly.
Souta glowered at Kagome for a moment, then began to stomp off towards his room. He was stopped as Kagome reached out and caught his arm, her eyes questioning.
"Souta," she said softly. "What's wrong? What'd I do, really?"
Her brother glared at her for a moment longer before speaking. "Why do you always assume I only wanna see Inuyasha when I ask you that?" he told her angrily. Then with a scowl, he shook his arm free of her grasp and scrambled up the stairs to his room. The sound of his bedroom door slamming reverberated throughout the house.
Kagome's mother sighed, shaking her head as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Don't be too harsh on him, Kagome," she apologized softly. "He's still a little bit upset that you weren't there for his graduation."
Kagome closed her eyes and let herself flop face-first into the large couch. "I'm not angry with him," she mumbled from out of the cushions. She was actually feeling twin measures of surprise and depression. It wasn't only from Souta's outburst, though she was kicking herself for having misjudged her little brother so badly. "If you're going to be rude to Kagome for the few times she's here?" Am I really away that much, Mama? she thought to herself miserably. Her head was still pounding from the incessant droning of Professor Michifusa's lecture, and the impromptu sibling argument wasn't helping either.
As if sensing the tension in her daughter, Mrs. Higurashi settled herself on the couch next to Kagome and stroked her shoulder comfortingly. "Why don't you tell me what happened at school, honey," she said soothingly. "Did you have a hard time in class today? If it's too difficult, you could always switch to an easier course."
Kagome pushed her face out of the seat cushion indignantly. "No! It's not too hard, Mama! It's not the class that's difficult, it's the professor!" she protested. Both women paused and looked up at the sound of the front door being slid open. Shortly afterwards, Kagome's grandfather entered the room.
"Ah, my two favourite women in the world!" he joked, his eyes sparkling as he saw them. "How was your class today, Kagome?"
Kagome rolled her eyes and let herself flop back down into the comfort of the couch. With a soft chuckle, her mother pat her on the shoulder and stood up. "Kagome had a hard time today. Apparently her history professor is very strict." She smiled as Kagome let out an unintelligible grunt of agreement.
"Who is this professor?" her grandfather asked, rubbing his chin absentmindedly.
"Me maid mis mame mas Meyasu Michifusa," Kagome answered without bothering to lift her head. She shot up at her grandfather's sudden cry of outrage. "Grandpa?" she asked uncertainly as she saw his face going red.
"Ieyasu Michifusa?" he bellowed, his eyes going wide. "That man is my personal nemesis! You should withdraw from his class immediately, Kagome!" he added with a huff.
Kagome could only watch her grandfather with wide eyes. "Well, he is really mean, but why is he your personal nemesis?" She paused, thinking it over, and then remembered Michifusa's cold dismissal of myths and legends during the lecture. Then she thought about her grandfather's beloved stories and tacky charms and winced. "… never mind," she added quickly before he could give her a long-winded answer. "I don't like him much either, but I need the credits for history, Grandpa. I can't just drop out of his class." Besides, it's a matter of pride now, she amended silently, though her family didn't need to know that.
Her grandfather fumed silently for a moment, then shrugged slightly. "That man has no respect for our ancient traditions or religion!" he said in a wounded voice. "You're a strong girl, but there's no shame in failing any class taught by that man. I'd even consider it something like a merit," he finished, making his way towards the stairs.
Kagome rolled her eyes and settled herself in a more comfortable, normal seated position on the couch. "Wow, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned his name, I didn't know Grandpa was going to get all worked up like that," she admitted to her mother.
"Oh, don't worry, honey," her mother smiled. "Besides, with your cheerful personality, I'm sure you'll win over this professor. Just give him a little time to get to know you."
Kagome made a face. "But I don't want to get to know him, mama. Besides, I don't think that's a very good idea. He already sort of made it clear he doesn't like me all that much." Hmm, maybe he's not a mind-reader after all, she thought. If Professor Michifusa and Grandpa have locked horns before, then I guess I have a bad reputation on name alone. "Thanks a lot, Grandpa," she mumbled under her breath.
"What did you say, dear?" her mother asked curiously.
Kagome blushed and shook her head quickly. "Oh, I was just thinking that it might not be a good idea to get to know Professor Michifusa any better, actually. I'm already in enough academic trouble as it is. I don't need people thinking that I have to chase after my teachers and… umm… befriend them to get good grades."
Mrs. Higurashi's face turned thunderous at Kagome's flippant remark and she glared at her daughter sternly. "That's not what I meant and you know it, Kagome. What on earth is that Inuyasha teaching you on the other side of the well, anyway? Do I need to have a talk with him?" she said threateningly.
Kagome bit her lip and stifled a giggle. Maybe with Miroku, she thought privately, glad for once that only Inuyasha could make it through the well. "No, mom, I swear, Inuyasha's not being a bad influence on me. I just meant that Professor Michifusa is pretty old, and he's really uptight too." She sighed slightly. "I don't think he'd appreciate me going out of my way to try and talk to him. I wouldn't put it past him to lower my grades just for attempting it," she admitted with a wry smirk.
Kagome's mother smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Don't worry too much about it, Kagome. You'll do fine! It's a history class, after all, and you have hands-on experience with history now." With a final pat, she released her daughter and hurried back into the kitchen.
Kagome sighed and leaned back into the couch, closing her eyes. "Hands-on experience, yeah. The kind of experience that no one except Grandpa would buy," she muttered to herself. It was true; she doubted even her mother or Souta would have ever believed the stories she told about feudal era, if not for Inuyasha and his dog-ears leaping through the well at regular intervals to drag her back into the past. She sighed again and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, trying to rid herself of her migraine. It wasn't working very well, and after a few moments she gave up. "Mama, I think I'm going to lie down for a bit before dinner," she called out, forcing herself off of the couch and up the stairs.
One of the many niggling sources of her blossoming headache pushed its way to the surface as she entered her room. Professor Michifusa said we'd only study stuff that was based on empirical evidence, she remembered. The reason for her discomfort suddenly reared its head before her in an unpleasant and very ugly surprise. It was something she had always noticed, but never thought about until that moment; like an ever-growing pile of dirty laundry that built up in the hamper, unnoticed until you were actually down to your last sock. "I know there are demons in feudal Japan. They're everywhere! How can there be no evidence of the existence of demons in Japan's history?" She thought of the reputation Inuyasha and Naraku had been carving out for themselves across the countryside. She considered, quite literally, the physical scars the demons they had encountered had left on both the people and the land. How can that be? she thought to herself, her eyes going wide as she flopped onto her bed. How can there be no evidence of demons from the Sengoku Jidai at all? In fact, where did all those demons go in the last 500 years? What happened to all of them? They couldn't all have died, there were so many…
The more Kagome thought about it, the less sense it made. For all intents and purposes, any record of demons existing had all but vanished from the modern world. Even if it had been a cover-up on a massive scale, Kagome also knew for a fact that she couldn't sense any demonic presences in modern Tokyo, apart from Inuyasha when he would visit, and the few demons they had fought together on this side of the well who were attempting to get the jewel shards. I know they still exist… they must still exist! So where are they?
The explanation she was searching for stubbornly refused to reveal itself to her tired mind, and eventually, Kagome gave up and let her eyes flutter shut. She couldn't shake, however, the sense of unease that had settled into the pit of her stomach. She carried it back with her into the feudal era like a lead weight when Inuyasha came to collect her two days later.