Chapter 4: Backwards Forwards

As the blue light subsided, Ian felt his feet touch down onto the bottom of the well. That girl would pay for this dearly. Who did she think she was, pushing him into a well like that? Anyway, his first priority would be to climb out of the well, then and only then could he exact his revenge. Unable to see much of anything in the darkness, which surrounded him, he called up to the girl who had thrown him into this hellish pit.

"Hey, Kagome! Hey, you, girl! Answer me! Get me out of here! Girl!"

A girl with long brown hair poked her head over the lip of the well and genially called back down to him.

"Hey there! Who are you-! Inu-Inuyasha! No… No, it can't be! You're dead! I saw you die! Miroku, Miroku!" The girl sprinted away from the well, calling out for someone as she went. Ian called back to her, pleading slightly with her.

"Hey, you! Just get me out! Wait! Oh come on!" It was no use. She was now far out of hearing range. He was about to give up all hope of getting out of the well, when once again, the blue light appeared, and produced none other than Kagome. Slightly startled by her sudden apparition, he just looked at her as if she wasn't real.

Dusting off her kimono and the bright red haori she wore, she turned to him and as if reading his mind, said, "Yes, I'm real. Sango! Miroku!" She waited for a moment, and then turned once again to glare at him. "You went and scared her off, didn't you?"

It was now Ian's turn to glare at her, very indignantly. "I scared her off? All I did, was to call for you! I just called for help! How in the world is there someone else here anyway? We were alone in the well house when you pushed me in!"

Kagome just sighed and looked towards the opening gaping above them, and began climbing. Ian just stood there, trying as hard as he could not to look up her kimono... She turned to look back down at him, still climbing.

"Hey! You better not be looking up my kimono!"

Ian simply blushed, his guilt evident on his face.

"Yea...I thought so..."

Kagome sighed with pleasure as her face breached the confines of the well. It was so good to be back, especially with her familiar tagalong in tow. She turned again to stare into the golden eyes of the man she had loved, eyes that now sparkled with contempt and malice.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Climb on out! Hell, you're a half-demon, jump out!"

Ian stared back up into her face. Oh how he disliked her at the moment! Again, she had mentioned an extremely well kept secret that no one should have known about. And yet, there she was, spouting off about him being a half demon as if she were simply commenting on the weather. If he didn't get answers soon, he didn't know what he'd do, but he knew it would be unpleasant.

"Today, please Ian."

Still scowling, Ian bounded out of the well, landing gracefully on the lip of the well.

"There," he sneered. "I'm here. Smiles all around, eh?"

Kagome just smiled. There was only one thing she knew of to remedy Inuyasha's attitude when he used to drop into that 'smart ass' attitude. She was positive that it would work with Ian as well.

"Sit."

She had been correct. Again, he plummeted to the ground, his prayer beads glowing with magical power and his eyes glowing with hatred.

"Why you-! I'm gonna-!"

But Kagome never found out what he was going to do. For at that precise moment, a girl with long brown hair burst through the tree line, dragging behind her a man with darker brown hair kept relatively short and tied back into a small ponytail at the base of his neck. Ian recognized the girl immediately as the same girl who had peered down into the well at him. She was shouting and pointing at Ian in a slightly frightened manner.

"See? See, Miroku? I told you, it's a demon! I'm telling you, some demon has taken on Inuyasha's form!"

"Please, Sango! Calm down, please! It may not be a demon!"

"Then what would it be; hm, Miroku? A cleverly disguised human?"

"Erm, well...no...Not-not exactly...maybe..."

Kagome turned to face her friend, a curious look apparent on her face.

"Sango? What's the matter?"

Sango faced Kagome, a shocked and slightly crazed look etched its way onto her features.

"An impersonation of the man you loved more than anything stands before you and you calmly ask 'what's the matter'! My dear friend, have you gone mad?"

Kagome smiled. This would obviously take some explaining as well. Walking over to Sango, Kagome pulled her close and whispered into her ear.

"Sango...do you remember how I told you that Inuyasha promised me as he lay dying that he would come back?"

She waited for a moment analyzing the look on her friend's face as comprehension dawned. Sango nodded slightly. Kagome smiled again and gripped her friend's shoulder tighter, pointing all the while at Ian's turned back.

"Sango...he's back. That's him...he's back."