I do not own anything Inuyasha related, sad to say……………

OH WELL! On with the show!

Story…

Whatever…………. Let's just get this thing started

Forgotten Past

Chapter 2

"Kagome," yelled Ms. Higurashi as she entered her home. "Kagome, dear, will you come here for a moment? I have something to tell you."

"Coming," someone answered. A young girl of fifteen came running down the stairs to greet her mother in the kitchen. She was wearing a green blouse with black pants, cut near the shin. Her hair, raven black, hung in waves around her shoulders; her light brown eyes sparkled, revealing their small speaks of green.

"Kagome, please don't run in the house." Ms. Higurashi gave her daughter a stern look before shaking her hair out of its previous twist.

"Sorry, did you want something?"

"Yes. Tomorrow at three, I need you to take Nilla down to that stable, you know, the one you're always talking about."

"Youkai Stables?"

"Yes, that's the one. Anyways, as I was saying, the young man down there would like to meet you and Nilla in order to decide whether or not he should give you a job."

Kagome squealed in excitement. "Oh, my gosh, mom, you didn't." She couldn't believe it; she might actually get a chance to work at Youkai Stables! The most talked about stable in the world of horses. They were supposed to be able to cure any troubled horse by just using herbal techniques. She was use to working with herbs and stuff. Her old tutor, Keade, taught her such things. So, by acquiring this job, not only will she be able to work with her favorite animals all day, she'll also be able to continue her herbal studies. It was the chance of a lifetime!

Kagome's mom nodded her head, a wide grin spreading across her features at her daughter's excitement. "Yes, I did. Besides, maybe it will give you something to do this summer. Go see if Sango will be willing to give you a ride, I'm sure you'll want her company."

Kagome let out another squeal and hugged her mom. She yelled a quick thanks as she ran up the stairs to call her friend.

"You're welcome! And don't run in the house!" Ms. Higurashi shook her head. Teenagers, she thought, all alike yet so very different. I wonder how Sota's going to turn out.

Kagome burst into her room, grabbed the phone, and dialed her friend's number. After three rings, someone picked up. "Moshi moshi, Shikaku residence. How may I help you?"

Kagome giggled. "If I may speak with the daughter of the household, I have some information I know she will be quite willing to perceive."

"Kagome?"

"The one and only."

"Oh! Hang on, let me switch phones." Kagome could hear Sango put down the receiver. A while later, she was back on. "Okay, what news?"

"Okay, now you have to listen carefully, I don't know who else could be listening, but it's top secret." Kagome could almost hear her friend nod in anticipation. "Alright, are you ready?" Silence. "When you picked up the phone…." More silence. "Sango………….you sound like a secretary."

"No…………."

"Yes, and also, Kouga wants you to bear his children…"

"Ew! Kagome! That's gross! Besides, we all know that's your job." Kagome seethed at her laughing friend. "Just kidding." Kouga was a very dear friend of hers, and though, yes he did like her at one point, he was able to move past her rejection and find a girl who liked him back. "So what's up? Is there any REAL news?"

Kagome's anger melted in an instant. "Yeah! My mom may have found me a job at Youkai Stables! I have an interview with them tomorrow around three."

"And you need a ride right?"

"Sango! Why do you presume that the only reason I call you is for a ride?"

"Let's see……. There was the time you invited me to the school dance, or the time Taka invited YOU to his party, or how about the time you needed me to go shopping with you FOR MY OWN BIRTHDAY PRESENT!"

Kagome chuckled at the memory. It was only a year ago, but for some reason Sango just hasn't let it go. Her family had a lot going on at that time, with her mom's promotion and Sota moving back in with them, and all, the vehicles were all occupied, not to mention the chauffeurs. And Sango had just gotten her license. She wasn't about to let her best friend's birthday go by without her getting a gift. "At least you got what you wanted, right?"

Sango sighed. "That's not the point."

"Please, Sango?" Kagome paused for a moment. "I'll be your best friend…"

Despite the fact that her friend could not see her, Sango threw her hands up in frustration. "YOU'RE ALREADY MY BEST FRIEND!" Silence. "Alright, fine. But for your sake there better be people there worth talking to."

"If by 'people worth talking to' you mean a stable run completely by college students, then yep, you'll be at the right spot."

Sango perked up a little. "Whoa, wait. Run that by me again."

Kagome laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "You'll find out tomorrow, right now I have to go check on Nilla."

"You and your horses. I guess I'll see you around one-thirty?"

"Yeah, sure. That's fine. Thanks a lot, Sango."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lemme guess you don't know what you'll do without me, right?"

"Right."

"You're just lucky there'll be people there to keep me occupied. I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye." The two girls hung up, leaving each other to their respective duties. This is just great, Kagome thought. I have a ride to the Youkai Stables, my best friend is going with me, and I just might be able to snag myself a job while I'm at it. She ran downstairs to the backyard, not hearing the annoyance in her mother's voice at having to repeat herself. I wonder what the staff looks like. They don't post any pictures on the Internet or anything, and they only have a picture of their stable in magazines. She grabbed a halter and a lead rope off the back porch and whistled for her horse. Oh, wait, they do have that one picture of the owner.

A golden palomino trotted up to her owner and nuzzled her pockets, looking for a treat. Kagome whispered a small hello and fished out an apple chip, much to the palomino's delight. While the horse crunched its treat, Kagome slipped on the halter and tried to recall the picture. The man looked to be about twenty or so, with incredible silver hair that he kept back in a tight braid. Long bangs covered his eyes, giving them a dark glow. He didn't look like the type who worked around horses, but then again, Sango didn't really look like the type to train at a dojo either. But that didn't mean she didn't love doing it.

Kagome finally tuned in to Nilla's pawing complaints and giggled at the scene she was making. "Alright. I get it. You want to go for a ride, huh?" Nilla bobbed her head, giving the impression that she actually under stood Kagome. Kagome tied the lead rope to Nilla's halter, making a type of rein, and swung up onto her back. "Are you ready?"

Nilla stomped her foot as if to say, "I've been waiting for ten minutes!"

"Alright," Kagome huffed. "Let's go!" Kagome turned Nilla towards the fence and took off at a gallop. Nilla pricked her ears at the sight of the jump. As they neared, Kagome could feel the horse tense. Her muscles bunched and loosened, signaling the smooth take off. Kagome loved to jump. It made her feel free. Like she was flying. That's why she convinced her mother to lower this particular part of the fence. She knew Nilla would never think of escaping, and it was too tall for anything else to get over. And if something did manage to jump that height, Buyo would let them know, though you would never guess the fat old cat could actually prove an excellent guard dog. Erm… cat.

But, the flight never lasted long and soon they were back on the ground, making their way towards their secret spot, a remote little clearing with a small creek running along its edge. Upon arrival, Kagome jumped off Nilla's back and the horse trotted off to the creek to sample the sweet water. "Oh, fine. Leave me here why don't ya?" Nilla snorted in response. Kagome stuck her tongue out in a very childlike manner then turned and shimmied up the neatest tree. She found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep, her mind coming up with every scenario that might possibly happen tomorrow.

She could feel herself edge closer to a deep sleep, but was disturbed by a rustling coming from the leaves next to her. Groggily she inched over to the interfering bunch of branches, trying desperately to rid the sleep from her eyes. She inched closer. Closer…..

"ROAR!"

Kagome screamed and fell backwards, away from the think that jumped in her face. She screamed again as she felt herself falling from the safety of the tree. JUST GREAT, she thought. Sorry, mom, I can't go to the interview, something jumped out of a tree, scared the bacon out of me, and here I am, presenting my stupidity in the form of a broken neck. Yes, I know I'm not supposed to be climbing trees in the first place, so yes it is mostly my fault. Man, it's amazing the things that rush through your head in your last couple of seconds.

Luckily for her, a pair of strong arms were there to break her fall. Kagome looked up to the tree and found a pair of wide green eyes staring down at her. "Arg, SHIPPO!"

"Please, not so loud," asked a deep voice. Kagome looked up into a pair of bright brown eyes, covered by bangs of a slightly darker shade. The pair of eyes were squinted shut as if in pain.

"Oh, sorry, Kouga." She paused for a minute hoping he would let her down without her having to demand it. No such luck. "Um, Kouga? Could you let me down now?"

"You sure?"

"Yes…"

"Alright." Kouga let her down gently, seeming to savor every last second he had to hold her.

The green eyes from earlier jumped down from the tree and snuggled up to Kagome in a hug. "Whatcha doin' out here?" The little fox demon squirmed in Kagome's arms, his bushy tail sending little shivers up and down her arms.

"Nothing much. Well, I was sleeping until you can and SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" She placed a hand firmly on top of Shippo's head, pushing him a little farther into her arms embrace.

Out of the cracks in her fingers his bright eyes glared at Kouga. Somehow he managed to let escape an accusing finger. He pointed at Kouga. "What! It was his idea!"

Kagome turned to face Kouga who seemed to be slowly turning a deep shade of red. "Oh really?"

"Well, um, you see…uh…wait. It was…" Kouga shot deadly glares at Shippo while trying to find a way of escape. Unfortunately he was having no such luck.

Kagome chuckled at her friend. "It's okay. I was just messing with ya." Kouga let out all the air he had unknowingly held. "By the way, you're doing a great job of keeping your tail hidden. How long has it been? At least a couple of weeks without it showing, right?"

"Yeah. It's been almost a month now. It's not that hard, actually."

"Not bad. So what are you guys doing out here? It's not every day I see my two friends together like this."

"What are you talking about? You saw us just last week." At Kagome's silence and 'whatever' glance, Kouga thought it best to continue. "Okay, so, maybe not. We both saw Nilla headed home, and since you weren't with her, we decided to come look for you."

Shippo took his cue. "Yeah, yeah. Then Kouga came up with O.S.K. as soon as he sensed you in the tree."

"O.S.K.?" Kagome looked from one friend to another.

"Yeah, Operation Scare Kagome."

Kagome walked over to Kouga, ignoring his attempts to defend himself, and punched him in the arm. "Oh you did?"

"Hey, you can't blame a guy for wanting to get a pretty girl I his arms now can you? Besides, you've always wanted to know what it was like to be one of those damsels in distress, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but hat was for a life threatening situation."

"Look pretty threatening to me."

"Oh no, Shippo. What do you think Ayame will say when she finds out that Kouga held someone else in his arms?"

"I don't know", replied Shippo, "but I know it won't be pretty, whatever it is."

Kouga went from cherry red to snow white in an instant. "You wouldn't"

Kagome gave him a thoughtful stare. "You're right, I wouldn't. I'm not that mean. I mean, there is no way I would break up my best friend and his girl when I knew that there would be no chance in Hades that he'd be able to find another one."

"Hey!" Kouga tried to tackle Kagome but failed in the end with Kagome sitting on his back.

"Aww", complained Shippo. "I thought I was your best friend."

"All my friends are my best friends." Some muffles were heard coming from the form under Kagome. "I'm sorry, what was that? I don't understand dirty language." Some more muffles. "Really, Kouga. You're going to have to try harder than that." A deep, threatening growl was heard as Kouga flexed his claws in the dirt, tearing up the soft earth. "Eep. Okay, okay I'm going."

Kagome jumped off Kouga's back, allowing him to get up and spit out his mouthful of dirt. Shippo and Kagome practically died laughing at the "great demon prince". Who would have guessed that the prince of the mightiest known wolf clan could be succumb by a mere teenage? But of course, Kagome knew he was much stronger than he appeared to be. After all, strength comes with age right? And he was a good couple years older than her. Well, that she knew of anyways. It was possible that he could be a couple CENTURIES older than her and not look more than eighteen. He said to her at one point that he had spent a long time with his clan in hiding, which is one reason why he was still working on his disguises, which would also explain why it was taking a while for him to conceal his tail for a long period of time.

Without the YEARS of practice most demons get to work on their magic, it was going slowly for him. Slowly, but surely.

But, despite the fact that he was much older, stronger, and, of course, of a totally species, she loved to take full advantage of his willingness to "tone it down" for her sake.

"I have to go", managed Kagome between gasping breathes. "If Nilla's already gone home, it must be late. Mom'll be mad if I'm late for supper. Again."

Kouga looked at his now distressed friend. Man she changes moods fast, he thought. Maybe that's one reason why I liked her. She's always keeping me on my toes. "Would you like me, urm, um, us… to escort you back? Maybe your mom won't be so mad if she knew you weren't alone, but with your friends."

Kagome gazed up at Kouga, her mood taking another swing. "Oh, would you?"

"Sure. Come on Shippo."

COME ON...It's no hat bad... BUT I'LL NEVER KNOW, WILL I?

JK! If you read it, that's good enough for me.

THANKS!