Shikon Shards and Obsidian Mirrors.
Chapter 5: Ghosts, Time to Leave
By: LadyRainStarDragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
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"Kagome. Kagome-chan."
The soft voice threaded through the mists of her dreams, a slender figure appearing in the mist with a large object carried on her shoulder.
"Kagome-sama!"
Another familiar voice, this time male, called out to her as well, a robed figure walking out of the mist toward her as well.
"Sango? Miroku?"
The woman came out of the mist, and Sango looked exactly as she had when Kagome had left, although she was wearing her taijya uniform and a worried face.
"We need your help Kagome. Sora…"
"Has been taken." Miroku finished Sango's sentence.
"Sora?"
"It's not important Kagome-sama. But Sora needs your help. We need your help. The portal is nearby."
Miroku's voice was strained, as if he were tired, and trying to speak from far away. Sango picked up the rest.
"It is difficult. We will tell you more when you meet us. We will be waiting."
The mist closed in again, taking her friends with it. Kagome was alone in the endless white expanse. Something jumped on her chest, heavy and furry.
"Uf!"
Kagome sat up in her bed, the pink covers cast aside and falling to puddle on the ground. Buyo, her fat calico cat, fell into her lap with a discontented "mao."
"Buyo!"
He looked up at her, his great weight pinning her legs to the bed.
"I have to get up."
Buyo moved, but only just enough to allow her to slip out from under him before he went to sleep.
Going out the bedroom door and then down the stairs, she looked around for Inuyasha, mildly annoyed that he had not been there when she woke up. The front door creaked quietly, letting in the silver-haired hanyou she was looking for, and a young man following him.
"Inuyasha? I had a strange dream. Miroku and Sango were in it, and they were talking about someone name Sora?"
"My sister…"
Kagome looked directly at the young man that had intruded in the conversation, shocked at how familiar his face was to her. Inuyasha spoke up before she could say anything.
"It's not him, this is Kumiro. Call the idiot dragon and his woman. We found that portal."
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BlowingWind was comfortably ensconced in her futon, Ryu sitting up beside her and on top of the covers so as not to offend his miko's sensitivities. Her eye cracked blearily open when the phone rang out in their living room.
"I'll get it. Whoever's calling at this hour had better have a good reason… and it better not be another of those mortgage brokers from Saudi Arabia."
Ryu continued grumbling to himself as he opened his eyes and went to answer the phone. BlowingWind listened from the bed, since Ryu had left the door open.
"Moshi-moshi, Take residence. Head of household speaking."
There was silence as he listened to the person on the other line.
"I see. We'll be right there. No, we aren't far away. Hai. Sayonara."
Ryu came back in, went over to the closet, and began changing into a red and black Aikido gi, then began packing travelling bags for himself and BlowingWind, setting out the white leather dress, moccasins, and trousers he knew she would want. Blowing Wind pulled a quilt over her head quickly until she was sure the shameless dragon was done changing.
"What did you think you were doing?"
He looked at her quizzically.
"Changing into something more appropriate than my pajamas. It's time to go. And since you got to watch me then I get to watch you."
She threw a pillow at him, then got up to get her clothes and go behind a changing screen.
"You perverted scaly coyote. I hid."
"Such a shame. The displays I put on for you always go on without return… I've seen you in less while tending your body before…"
Ryu smirked and turned his back to her to give her a little added privacy, the packing done. It didn't take long until she was dressed and they were on their way to the shrine.
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Houjo was having trouble sleeping. The items on the family altar kept rearranging themselves noisily and a scroll that had belonged to one of the Houjo family from the feudal age had unrolled itself several times.
"That's it! Fine! I'll stay awake!"
In the kitchen, an orange fell out of a bowl of fruit and rolled off the counter, then along the floor. The fruit rolled from the kitchen out to the hall, then into his room, stopping at the foot of his bed. Houjo got a good look at the strange thing before it started rolling again, this time back out and into the living room, where it waited by the bustsudan. He followed it, tousled hair, plaid pajamas, and all.
"This has been a very strange day."
A glowing light came out of the butsudan, a small firefly that flitted around Houjo and then hovered for a moment before a sword that was hung carefully on the wall. After a moment of regarding the firefly, it turned into a young man remarkably similar to Houjo, but in the white robes and loose hair of the dead.
"Not as strange as some that I have had. Here, you'd better eat this orange. They are good for you. In fact, you will want to take many with you. Kagome-sama will probably appreciate someone bringing healthy food, although her ninja noodles are good."
Houjo stared at the young man, who had the air of a member of the samurai class around him.
"Who are you?"
"A friend of Kagome's just like you. It's been a while since anyone in our family has gone on a sacred quest. I was the last, with transporting the Celestial Robe to the summit of Fujiyama where I cast it into her fires."
Houjo sighed.
"Right. What do I need to do to be ready?"
The ancestral Houjo pointed at the present day Houjo's clothes.
"First, you will be entering the Spirit World. You need to be clothed right."
A blue hakama and haori appeared at the younger Houjo's feet, decorated with the family crest and several flowers. He hurriedly changed into it, the ancestral Houjo nodding in approval at the finished product.
"Second, as a representative of the family you will need to carry a sword. Things are still very traditional on the side of the mists that I am on. Here, take mine."
He brought the sword down from the wall and presented it to the younger Houjo.
"Third. I've already packed for you."
A backpack appeared at the young Houjo's feet, filled with clothes, fruit, and such small items as soap, as well as a blank diary and pens.
"Four, time to go out the door and be grateful that you took those classes in budo. They are here."
A knock came on the door, and the young Houjo hurriedly strapped on his sword and the backpack. Running to the door, he threw it open as soon as he got there. Ryu looked him up and down.
"You clean up nice, that's so much better."
Ryu transformed into a dragon on the spot, using an invisibility spell to hide himself and the humans from view of anyone looking outside. He lowered his great head, dark eyes serious as BlowingWind silently tugged on his scarlet mane to help her mount his black and scaly neck.
"Get on, and hold on tightly."
BlowingWind got herself situated, then leaned down to pull up Houjo when he didn't move in his shock.
"I told you a stunt like that would probably scare him Ryu."
BlowingWind grabbed Ryu's horns and held on after making sure that Houjo's hands were firmly planted. With a mighty leap, Ryu was in the air and streaking for the Higurashi Shrine.
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The simple wood room was lit with a blue light, revealing that tatami, and the futon on the ground covered the pine floor. A red head rested on a small pillow, and green eyes shot open in surprise at the sudden burst.
"Father?"
Shippo sat up in bed, hastily tying his long hair back as a kitsune took shape within the cool fire.
"Kagome needs you. Down at the foot of the shrine steps, you will meet her party there."
The fire faded, and Shippo groaned.
"What is this going to do to the time line?"
He reached for his bedside phone, and called his boss, leaving a message for Seshoumaru that he would not be coming into work for a while, leaving a code word.
"Shikon."
After getting up and putting on his clothes, he grabbed a bag and threw some food and clothes in, grateful that he still wore mainly kimono even though they were so supposedly "out of date." Running as fast as he could, he arrived at the foot of the stairs and sat down to wait.