The fifth day came and Maria was just starting to make a fire in order to cook her latest catch when a low growl rumbled off to the side. Tensing, but not moving, Maria glanced over to see three wolves. All had their teeth bared, dark eyes gleaming with hunger and suspicion. She heard her heartbeat pick up more than actually feeling it, her blood pulsing loudly in her ears.
Don't panic, she thought to herself, leveling her breathing, No. Sudden. Moves.
Maria slowly raised her hands in a non-threatening manner, eyes flickering about to take in all available options. The wolves took a step forward and her breath halted in her chest, straining against her lungs. Scenarios ran through her head before she settled on her safest option- carefully grasping onto the stick where her dinner was currently skewered, Maria froze only for a moment as the wolves' growls grew louder.
As cautiously as she could the young woman tossed the rabbits towards the wolves, waiting to see how they'd react. Sweat trickled down her temple as they stared her down, golden eyes gleaming fiercely before two of the three pounced onto the meat. Their flesh tore through the meat easily, and Maria tried not to think about how they could eat her very shortly if things didn't go as planned. The third wolf continued to stare Maria down, as if seeing through her, as the others ate. It took a slow step forward, almost as if testing her.
Maria stood frozen, refusing to move and antagonize the wolves. Her hands remained still in the air, gaze steadily meeting the beast's.
Whatever it had been searching for in her the wolf looked to have found it, as it let out a light yawn and turned to its brothers, acting as thought it was about to leave, before a low whistle sounded. The sound gained their attention, light-hearted yelps ringing through the air. Two men clad in armor and fur pelts suddenly ran into the small clearing, and Maria turned to look at them in alarm. The men's' grins slowly dissolved at the sight of her. She watched at the wolves moved towards them, circling their legs affectionately.
Their owners. Great. Just… great. Maria looked them over, muscles still tense. It was that moment that she noticed some very interesting details; such things being their lack of shoes, and the fact that they had claws, fangs, and pointed ears. They looked convincingly human, but Maria knew at once what they were. Demons. They were humanoid demons. But with the fur and how the wolves were acting… was it possible they were wolf demons? Is that even a thing?
One of them, sporting a metal chestplate and mohawk, stepped forward. Maria crouched down lower and slid a foot back out of reflex. A defensive stance, but not one set to run. She couldn't after all- the wolves would catch her in seconds, regardless of whether her leg was injured or not. Either she would need to find a way to get them to leave, or she would have to fight.
And her heart told her she wouldn't win that battle.
...
Thinking on it, I probably shouldn't have gotten so mad at Inuyasha. But he can't just expect me to not care about anything that's happened. It was a lot to take in and a lot to try and cope with all at once. I'm not sure how Kagome did it, but I'm certain it's only because she has a way to return home whenever she wished.
Lungs heavy and heart buried deep in my stomach, I started to make my way over to the hut that looked like Kaede's. I pushed aside the hanging door, glancing inside and making sure that it was actually hers. It was difficult telling, so I decided to walk around to the back of the hut instead and hide in the shade, curling into a ball with my knees up to my chest.
I want to go home. I hate this. All of this is so stupid.
Perhaps a year ago I might have found the idea of time travel amazing, but that didn't mean I actually wanted to do it. I didn't have the right mentality or physical stature to be thrust into a place like this. And… the hilarious thing is… Kaede said I wasn't meant to be here. I wasn't the one the person who cast the spell required.
They tried to get rid of me- which would explain the reason Maria and I were pulled away from each other. They scorched my leg and removed her from my grasp, attempting to expel me from the summon.
"Whoever it was that brought ye here… be it a demon or a human… did not intend for two to enter this time. Yet only another- one with a power close to their own- could have activated the spell."
I raised the palm of my left hand, staring at it as if it were not my own. Was it all my fault Maria and I were here? I don't believe at all that I could have any sort of special power, but… what else am I supposed to do? Maria was clearly the one the summoner wanted. I was just a mistake. An accident.
Yet here I was.
Maybe the reason I can speak the language, I thought as my eyes trailed down to my lower leg, is because of the rebound? Maybe it's a weird connection to the summoner; the reason why I can speak and understand the language is because the Summoner does? But if that's the case- what about Maria?
I know she taught herself some of the language out of pure self-interest, but she'd never had to actually speak to anyone with that dialect. Not that I know of, at least. Her anxiety was a hundred times worse than mine. Would she really be alright?
I looked up at the sky, nearly blinded by the clear blue. Even if we were separated… we're still looking at the same sky, aren't we? It will be difficult, but I know we'll run into each other. I'm certain of it. I just have to be strong.
Though that's much easier said than done…
The only consolation was that she can't be too far from here.
"Irene~!" A voice called out, shouting my name. I jumped at the sound, heart feeling as though it was about to leap out of my chest from fright. Skittish by nature I timidly turned and shifted, peering over the corner to see Shippōrunning around the village. "Irene, where are you!?"
"Just leave her!" I could hear another voice bark. Inuyasha. He sounded irritable. "Let her mope! It's all she wants to do, anyway!"
Shippō stopped running to whirl around and glare up at Inuyasha, green eyes furious. "If it weren't for your insensitive comment earlier she wouldn't be so mad right now! This is all your fault, stupid Inuyasha!"
"Why you- what did you just call me!?"
"Stupid! You're a stupid, mean, jerk that never takes into consideration other people's feelings!" Shippō jumped up and hit Inuyasha across the face with his foot, but before he could fall back down to the ground and escape Inuyasha reached a hand out and caught the child by his tail. "P-Put me down! Let go of me, stupid!"
"STOP CALLING ME STUPID! And you know what- maybe I am insensitive, but at least I don't go bawling my eyes out every chance I get! She's not gonna get anywhere if she keeps behaving like this!" Inuyasha dropped Shippō, the fox demon letting out a yelp and scrambling onto his feet once on the ground. "This is ridiculous!"
I pulled away from the corner and stood, making my way diagonally through the grass in the direction of the forest. There wouldn't be any point in hiding behind the hut if I was found out, and I had been told that the majority of the evil demons outside the village had been killed already. It would be fine. I would just be heading to the eastern outskirts, anyway.
Inuyasha and Shippō were both still arguing with each other as I fled the scene, neither of them noticing that I was there. For a pair of people with demonic heritage that are supposed to have heightened senses, they sure got distracted easily. I pushed through the tall glass, picking away some stray leaves that stuck themselves to my sling, and only faltered once I approached the edge of the village where the forest began.
I had thought it would be fine, but at the same time… all the worst case scenarios were playing through my head. I should start searching for Maria; even if I was mad at Inuyasha for telling me not to be upset, he wasn't wrong about how my emotions weren't going to solve anything. I wouldn't go too terribly fair. I'm in no condition to try and defend myself, after all. With any luck the farthest I'll go is the Bone-Eater's Well.
If I even end up going in the right direction. Hopefully I'll bump into Kagome along the way- she seems nice. I won't ask her to travel with me, but I would certainly feel a lot more comfortable with someone who seemed to know what they were doing in this era.
A heavy sigh escaped me as I walked into the forest. It was a slow endeavor, but a worthwhile one. It gave me time to reflect and think back on things, including my argument with Inuyasha. A part of me felt like I was too harsh on him, but another part of me felt like my anger was justified. After all that I've been through this week I think I deserved a little time to be emotional. I shook my head, pushing that memory away for now. The thing I should be worrying over was how I was going to survive in this era with my lungs in such poor condition, and how I was going to find Maria.
Then, after I do find her, how were we going to get home?
Feeling an itch on my neck I reached up and scratched, not really paying much attention to it as I neared a grove of trees. It was only when the itch began to grow more intense that I stopped walking and furiously ran my nails over my neck, pausing only when I felt something… weird. A bug!? I pulled it off my neck with a cringe, staring at the thing cautiously.
"Ah, my apologies miss," The bug began to speak, startling me into silence, "but your blood smelled mighty tasty. Hehe. Is your blood type A positive by chance?"
What.
The.
Fricking.
Heck.
Officially traumatized by this weird talking bug with four arms and a mustache I dropped it on the ground, backing up slowly.
"H-Hey now!" It exclaimed, jumping in the air several times to talk to me. "That was uncalled for! Oh my- now this is interesting. You're not from here, are you? No wonder your blood was such a delicacy! You're a foreigner!"
That's it. I'm done. I want to go home.
"Uh, you probably don't want to walk that way, miss!" The talking bug said quickly, suddenly landing on my shoulder. I tensed, staring at it with horrified eyes. "There are a lot of nasty demons over there!"
What on earth could be nastier than a bug?
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything the bushes and trees in front of us rattled. The bug leapt off my shoulder and darted off, saying no more as it escaped from the very real danger we were now in. A towering beast pushed apart the branches, letting out a roar as it moved into sight. I stepped back, mouth opening in shock as my breathing took a turn for the worst, heartbeat racing frantically inside my chest.
"Flesh… young woman flesh…" A large hand reached out towards me. "GIVE IT TO ME!"
Which way did I come from? How far did I go into the forest? Would I even be able to outrun this thing without blacking out from asphyxiation? Running seemed like my best option, but I wouldn't be able to get very far in my condition. I'm already getting dizzy just from my own breathing issues, but with an injured leg and damaged arm? What was the point?
The point…?
I don't want to die, that's the freaking point. But what can I do? I'm useless in this situation.
It's getting closer. Oh gods, I can see the dried blood on its fingers. The demon reeks of death and roadkill. Roadkill? No. It just murdered whoever it wanted. And if I don't move soon that's going to be me next! Freaking heck, who cares about the consequences!? Just run!
Not having much options in this scenario I leapt to the side, demon missing me by a hair's length. I hit the ground roughly and cried out in pain, hurting my shoulder, but forced the pain to the back of my mind and rolled. "Give me your flesh!" Scrambling onto my feet, already winded from all the movement, I began to run. "Come back here!"
Loud, angry footsteps chased me from behind, the demon furious at its prey getting away. I could feel my lungs inside my chest burning like acid as they struggled to intake even the smallest bit of oxygen.
Where…?
Where should I go? Where am I heading? I don't know.
Scared…
Suddenly a large shadow was hovering over me. As a pair of large fingers grasped my form I couldn't even do so much as scream, scarcely able to kick my legs. It held tight, crushing me to the point where it felt like my spine and the rest of my bones were about to snap. I gasped, lips curled back and a whimper choked down as it continued to crush me. It raised me high up into the air, forcing me to stare into its horrid face. I could see myself reflected in its disgusting teeth, breath so rancid I nearly threw up.
N-No…
Maria. Maria, please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I don't want… t-to die…
I'm such a bad sister.
…
Hakkaku looked back at Ginta, surprised by the encounter. Normally humans ran away when they saw demons like them- especially young human women. But this one wasn't? Instead she was ready to fight. Why?
"Hey, Hakkaku," Ginta started, leaning towards his friend and eyeing the girl strangely, taking note of her strange features, "I think she might be a foreigner."
"Yeah?" The other man hummed, cocking his to the side as he looked her over. He narrowed his eyes, raising a fist up in the air warningly. He didn't plan on hurting her, especially not since Kōga now refused to let anyone eat mortals, but he did hope to scare her away. "Hey! What are you doing in our territory!?"
The woman tensed, hand jerking towards her sword hilt, but stopping before making contact. She glanced between them before calling back something he couldn't understand. The two men blinked, both stunned and confused. "What?
"Did you get that?"
A frustrated growl escape the woman's lips as she muttered in that odd language again. She tested a few words out on her tongue before calling out, "Demon! Yes?" She pointed at the wolves with her left hand, then themselves. Oh. The woman did know what they were, but not only that, she was trying to speak their language. She was pretty smart for a human. Impressive.
"Yeah." Hakkaku answered, nodding his head. "We're from the wolf tribe! Now, I'll ask you again- why are you trespassing in our territory?"
The woman mumbled the world "human" under her breath, the accent a little off yet clear enough to understand. She nodded to herself.
Ginta leaned towards Hakkaku again, raising a hand up to his mouth as he whispered, "So, this might just be a guess, but I don't think she speaks our language. I don't think she understands most of what we're saying."
"You know? I think you might be right." They watched as the woman's eyes darted between them, trying to take apart the syllables and piece together what it was they were talking about. Hakkaku blinked when he caught sight of an unused fire pit out of the corner of his eye, as well as the eaten rabbit remains several yards off. The wolves brushing against their legs- they had… blood all over their mouths. "She… fed them?"
Ginta blinked, confused. "What?"
"She fed the wolves! Humans don't just feed wolves!" The woman hadn't tried to flee yet either, although her hand was getting closer to the sword hilt with each minute that passed. She was strange. And her sword… it didn't seem to match her at all. None of her clothes made sense. It was almost like… "Kagome!"
The woman didn't react, not understanding that they had said a name. She knit her eyebrows together, tilting her head. Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look, realization hitting them hard. Ginta stepped forward, hands held out to the side to show he wasn't going to attack, and asked, "Do you know sister Kagome?"
Nothing. All they received in response was a tense, determined stare.
"Should we… take her to Kōga?" Ginta suggested, at a loss of what to do now. "She hasn't attacked us and she hasn't tried to hurt the wolves either."
Hakkaku thought about it, humming thoughtfully. "If she is from Kagome's world he may be able to find her, and then she can help her."
Ginta shrugged. "It's as good an idea as any."
...
Vision going black, my body went limp. My eyes struggled to stay open as the demon's mouth drew closer and closer, fully prepared to eat me alive. I tiredly wondered if it would be a quick death, with only a sharp pain, or if I would feel myself being torn apart. As I found myself succumbing to darkness and reluctantly accepting of my defeat, a voice called out. The demon paused to see who was interrupting its meal, only to let out a deafening cry of agony as its arm was suddenly removed from its body.
Its hand released its grip on me in response and both the limb and I were sent falling through through the air. Blood splattered all over the ground and on the creature itself, but just before I could smack hard onto the ground and splatter into nothingness a pair of strong arms caught me, changing the direction of my fall and saving me. "The hell were you thinking, you idiot!?"
Inuyasha landed on the ground with a practiced stance, keeping the large blade in his hand pointed away from me. I coughed a few times, barely conscious. I blinked repeatedly, blearily looking up at my savior and then at the currently enraged demon. Inuyasha leapt into the air, jumping away from the demon's attack. Landing on a tree branch the white-haired teen observed the situation quickly, before setting me down in the tree.
"Stay here. This won't take long."
Brandishing the long sword, Inuyasha jumped off the branch and swung the sword in the air, simultaneously avoiding another attack while dealing a blow of his own. The demon didn't stand a chance against him, cleanly sliced in two. As Inuyasha landed on the ground, blood spurted out of the demon's body as it fell apart. Its guts could be seen everywhere. Completely unperturbed by the sight Inuyasha sheathed his sword, looking up at me and jumping back onto the tree branch in one single bound.
The half-demon glared at me, arms crossed as he tapped his foot against the bark irritably. "Now, what the hell did you think you could do out here by yourself? Why did you run away!? Are you trying to get yourself killed!? How are you supposed to find your sister when you're dead, stupid!?"
"S-Sor…" I breathed, coughing again with a pained gasp, leaning my head back against the tree. "...ry…"
The boy scoffed. He squatted down, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Is this about your stupid "medical condition" again?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I had no voice. All I could do was sit there and struggle to breathe, but it was difficult with my heart running so wild within my chest. I had been so scared… and I'm still scared, honestly. I was so sure I was going to die. I'm so dizzy… and sleepy. I can't think. Everything hurts.
"Damn it… okay. Fine. We're heading back to Kaede's village." I winced and cried out a little when Inuyasha moved to pick me up again, shoulder and several other bones in excruciating pain after being crushed like I had. I was certain several bones were now bruised. "Then, once Kagome gets back," He continued, leaping off the branch and dashing through the forest with incredible speed, "we'll look for your sister. So don't go doing anything else stupid, got it?"
What…?
"I never said you couldn't be upset. I was just sayin' that moping wasn't going to solve anything! You can be upset any time you want, but you can't let that control you! Next time think about what a person is trying to tell you before you run off and nearly get yourself killed!"
Why… is he saying all this? Why did he save me? Wasn't… he mad at me? I don't understand. And earlier… when I first arrived and Kagome suggested I travel with them Inuyasha threw a fit. He was against helping me find Maria. So why was he saying he'd help me now? People are confusing. This world is confusing.
"I'm… sorry." I muttered quietly, completely unmoving in his hold as he ran through the forests, occasionally jumping over a fallen tree. "Th-Thank… you…"
"Shut up already! If you can't breathe, don't speak!"
Good point. I kept my mouth shut from that moment on, even after we made it back to the village. Inuyasha stopped running and instead marched on over to the hanging door of Kaede's hut, pushing it to the side with his foot, and set me down on the futon I had been sleeping on the past week. Inuyasha began shouting for Kaede, nose twitching as he dashed out of the building. I slowly laid down on my back, wincing with every movement, bones popping and new bruises still forming.
Kagome willingly came to this era… to fight creatures like that demon? Was she not afraid? They could die and she just voluntarily joins the battle. What for?
The hanging door shifted, someone entering the hut, but it wasn't Kaede and Inuyasha who arrived. It was Shippō. He looked at me, green eyes big with alarm and expression shifting into that of concern. The small fox demon darted over to my side, staring at my bleeding shoulder in horror. "Wh-What happened to you!? Did you get attacked!?"
Chest rising and falling with every heavy breath, I was unable to answer. Exhausted and focused on recovery, I could only give Shippō a weak thumbs up on my left hand. The small child only looked more terrified.
"Was Inuyasha the one who saved you? I know he ran out into woods shortly after you went missing…" The fox demon shook his head. "N-No! That's not important! We need to get you help! I-I'll go fetch some water so we can clean your wound! S-Stay here, okay!?"
It's not like I can move, but sure. The worry was greatly appreciated, even if it did make me feel rather guilty for going out into the forest like a moron. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down, relaxing my poor heart as best as I could. When I felt a familiar itch- this time on my left hand- I opened my eyes and raised the limb, staring at the demon bug blankly. Realizing it was caught, the bug removed its beak from my flesh and looked at me, burping.
"My apologies, miss, but your blood really is quite delightful. Not as good as Master Inuyasha's, of course, but still mighty delicious. I'm glad to see you made it out in one piece!" He cleared his throat, "Well, mostly, anyhow. That's quite a shoulder wound you've got there. Might I ask how it happened?"
Lowering my hand back onto the ground, I turned my gaze to the ceiling. Why is this happening? I have a talking bug on my hand. I've somehow time traveled into the far past and wound up in feudal era Japan because of a summoning spell gone wrong, lost track of my sister, been attacked by both humans and demons, and now I'm stuck on a futon with a bug. A bug that likes my blood.
Wait. He said "Master Inuyasha". I looked at the bug, squinting at him and wondering what his connection to the violent sword-wielding teen was. The bug blinked, as if coming to a realization.
"Oh! My deepest apologies, miss." He bowed, and then placed two of his hands against his chest. "My name is Myoga. I am Master Inuyasha's loyal bodyguard and adviser. It is a pleasure to meet you. And- to clear up any confusion- I am a flea demon."
A flea. Still a bug. But a flea.
And it bit me twice.
I don't even know anymore. This is all just one big nightmare. Definitely. A very realistic, very painful nightmare. I kept silent, refusing to answer the flea demon until I was able to speak without gasping. Myoga sat there on my hand and stared at me, observing and waiting patiently for a response. His gaze was only broken by the hanging door being pushed violently to the side, Inuyasha barging in with Kaede on his back and Shippō stumbling in alongside him, a small bucket of water in his hands.
"Let me see your wound, child." Kaede ushered, climbing off Inuyasha's back and making her way over to me. Inuyasha quickly turned to face the wall as the old woman helped me sit up, and I tried to push away the feeling of discomfort as she undid the kimono I was wearing to get at my bandages. The priestess frowned, undoing the wrapping, and said, "Aye, I'm afraid it has worsened… we'll have to clean it and bandage it again. Shippō, can ye hand me that bucket, please?"
Shippō did as told. Before long Kaede left and returned with her first-aid supplies, and began dabbing at my wound with a wet cloth. I hissed a couple of times, holding the kimono up to cover my chest as she cleaned and administered medicine.
"Pray tell, child, why did ye think it wise to head out on your own?"
"...It was…" I spoke softly, not raising my voice, "It was just… a walk…"
"A walk that almost cost ye your life." She scolded. "You must maintain caution! Had Inuyasha not arrived when he had-"
"I'm aware." I cut in, interrupting the lecture. I had taken into account all possible consequences when I decided to walk into the forest; I didn't need to reprimanded. No emotion shown on my face, the hollow in my chest growing wider with each passing second. "You guys said there were no big demons. I believed you… so I went for a walk."
Kaede stared at me for a moment and sighed. "That is not wrong… I suppose we are partially to blame for this. But ye should have brought someone along with you, or at least inform somebody about your whereabouts. You will not last long in this time if such behavior continues. If you truly wish to find your sister and return to your own time you must remain with Inuyasha and Kagome."
Shippō looked up, mildly excited despite the concern he felt. "Does that mean she'll be travelling with us!?" He then looked at his silver-haired friend, whose ears were twitching. "And Inuyasha… agreed to this?"
Kaede shook her head, while I nodded. Shippō looked greatly confused, while the old woman turned to me in surprise. I let out another hiss when she tied to the bandage, the priestess making it a little too tight for my liking. "H-He said… after Kagome gets back…" I let a grunt of pain as Kaede helped me slide my bad arm through the kimono sleeve. "We can go… look…"
Both of them stared intently at Inuyasha, boring holes into the back of his skull. His long nails tapped against the ground irritably, the teen looking mighty uncomfortable under their gazes. I blinked, watching as Kaede tied the sash without looking. "I'm impressed, Inuyasha," Kaede mused, "you've matured considerably from when you had first awoken."
Hah? When he woke up?
…
Hakkaku went to move forward, pausing only when the girl slid a foot back- bracing herself for any sudden attacks. "Easy," he said, holding his hands up again, "we're just gonna take you to Kōga. To help." Her eyes narrowed at them, warily flickering back between the two men. She didn't understand. "My name is Hakkaku." The wolf demon pressed a hand to his chest, trying his best to communicate. He paused before repeating himself, slower this time, patting his armor for emphasis. "Ha-kka-ku."
His companion pointed at himself, grinning. "Ginta! Gin-ta!"
The woman nodded hesitantly, touching her left hand against her chest to mimic them. "...Maria."
Oof. It really was a foreign name. The men took time to test the feel of it on their tongue, practicing the pronunciation for a few seconds. The woman, who was now known to them as Maria, flinched. Seeing such a strong human woman react as such towards them made them feel oddly guilty, and they couldn't help but to apologize. They watched as she shook their head at them, giving a small shrug in reaction to their words. Huh.
Ginta brought a hand up and scratched his cheek, having not expected that. "I guess… she really can understand some of what we're saying."
"You're right, but how are we going to get her to come with us to Kōga?" Hakkaku looked at his friend in concern, brows furrowing together. "She still seems scared."
"Well, he's going to be expecting us soon... " Ginta brought his hands up, fretting over their predicament. They didn't want to upset their leader, but they knew Kagome would never forgive them if she found out they left a foreign woman from her time here to be eaten by some other demons. He crouched down, ruffling his hair in frustration. "What should we do!?"
Hakkaku tapped his foot against the ground, hand on his chin, but nothing was coming to mind. This was so difficult; why did all the crazy things have to happen to them? The wolf demon was snapped out of his thoughts when unfamiliar words startled him. He turned, looking on in surprise to see that Maria had lowered hand from the sword. One hand was now resting casually on her hip. "What?"
She let out a weak laugh before trying again, pausing briefly at the end and thinking, sounding out the words. "Fool… Fool-vet?" Maria shook her head, face contorting into that of concentration. "Fool… ish? Foolish! Yes!" She snapped her fingers, proud of herself. Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other, frowns gradually lifting into smiles as they laughed at themselves.
"I guess we do sound pretty foolish right now, huh?" Ginta joked. He stood up from his spot on the ground, stretching out his legs. He was relieved that Maria was beginning to relax. "Alright. Let's try something."
...
"Shaddup!" Inuyasha snapped. "I only said it 'cause I know you guys would end up nagging me about it!"
Oh… so he wasn't being nice. I lowered my head, worrying my bottom lip. I actually let myself believe he genuinely wanted to help me. It was easy to think, too, because of how he saved me. For a moment I had thought we could have become friends. I guess we really were too different.
"Master Inuyasha," Myoga began, finally speaking up after sitting in silence for so long, "I have been travelling the lands for a while and I've come across some interesting news. I had heard rumors of a demon kidnapping villagers and that a few days ago it showed up outside their village in the form of a young woman. A young woman whose description greatly resembles this lovely lady. When I heard that the demon was in possession of a jewel shard I came here as quickly as I could- which is when I encountered her. Naturally, after tasting her blood- which was very tasty, might I add- I knew she was a human. Perhaps these villagers mistook her as the demon because of her strange appearance?"
Shippō looked at Myoga, surprised. "That… actually makes sense." Inuyasha shifted, sitting up and turning his torso a little to see the flea. His attention was already caught when he heard "jewel shard", but as the demon continued to speak when he remembered something.
"Yeah! When I first found her she was wearing these strange clothes- like the ones Kagome wears when she's in her time. If they saw her in that attire it's no wonder why they attacked." Inuyasha then smirked, turning his attention to me. "Which means one of the villagers might have seen something! We go to the village you get your answers and I get another shard of the Sacred Jewel!"
The half-demon leapt up onto his feet, pointing at me demandingly.
"Which means you need to hurry up and heal, so we can get going ! The faster the better, before Naraku can beat us to the punch! I'm going to go get Kagome!"
With that he ran out of the building, leaving me, Kaede, Shippō, and Myoga alone together. Shippō made a face at his friend's behavior, pulling at the bucket of bloody water and picking it up. "That didn't take long to get him excited. Kagome isn't gonna be very happy with him showing up."
Kaede nodded and let out a hum of agreement. I knit my eyebrows together, wondering why their expressions looked so grim. The old priestess pulled away from me and began to pack up all the medical supplies, Shippō leaving the hut with the bucket of bloody water. After everything was put away the elder turned to look at me, concern in her gaze. "When was the last time ye ate, Irene?"
What? Oh. The elder's expression shifted into worry when she saw I had to think about it. "When you last made stew… so, like, last night? Maybe?"
The elderly priestess let out a heavy sigh. "Ye need to be more diligent in your health, Irene." Kaede slowly stood, lacing her hands behind her back as she began to make her way to the back of the hut. "I'll see what I can stir up, so don't push ye-self anymore than necessary. Get some rest. Aye, I reckon tomorrow will be a big day for ye."
I wondered if she meant Kagome would be coming back, or if Inuyasha would try and drag me to the one village in his determination to get more jewel shards. Myoga never did give a description of the village; just that people were going missing because of a demon, and that those people thought I was the demon. As I gingerly lied down onto my back, I looked to the floorboards where the flea was sitting.
Sensing my stare the demon looked up, meeting my gaze curiously. "Is something the matter?"
"What village did you go to?" I asked. Myoga blinked, uncrossing his arms.
"Akebi Village. It's a rather peaceful place, but like with any other village it has become greatly disturbed thanks to the actions of cruel demons. It is my belief that if we take you to that village and show them you are not the one they want, they can lead us or tell us about where the demon rests. With any luck they might be able to inform you about your sister; now, I heard no such thing from them, but if they saw you then surely someone might have seen this Maria you speak so fondly of."
A tiny hope formed in my heart at that, but for some reason it felt like a tremendous weight on my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat, turning my head to look up at the ceiling. It's not… It's not that possible she got wrapped up with the demon… right? No. No, I'm sure she's fine. She's gotta be. I closed my eyes, taking a deep shaky breath.
My heart was starting to pick up the pace again. I needed to keep it calm.
And so, rather than sleeping, I spent the next hour and a half laying there and meditating in silence to keep my oxygen levels semi-steady. Shippo came in sometime during that, decided that I was asleep, and began to color on some notebook Kagome gave him. Kaede eventually lit a fire, but the second the smoke fumes hit my nose I began to cough and had to excuse myself from the hut, wobbling outside and stopping right next to the hanging door, sitting and leaning my back against the wall. Shippō soon joined me, concerned about my condition, and began to have a very one-sided conversation with me since I currently was unable to properly speak.
He told me a bit more about Naraku, about all the people he hurt and how he lacked any sort of kindness, and said he understood a little about why I walked off on my own. "You and your sister came here, but… you guys were separated." He held his sketchbook in his lap, crayons held tight in his tiny hands. "If… If my father were still alive I'd probably do the same."
Raising my head, I opened my eyes and looked down at Shippō. I gazed at him in surprise, having not expected such a confession and to find out he lost someone. The boy scribbled with a tan-colored crayon, expression far more grim than anything that belonged on a child's face. I looked at the page he was working on, realizing with a sharp pang in my chest that he was drawing a fox.
"He was really strong, you know? But… after the jewel got shattered, he found one of the pieces a-and… he was targeted because of it." He blinked away the tears trying to form, setting the crayon down and staring at the page with longing eyes. "My father- he was killed by a pair of thunder demons... so…" The small fox demon looked up at me, green eyes filled with understanding. "I get why you did it. I also get why you got so mad at Inuyasha earlier. If there's a chance your sister is alive… I want to help you find her."
I was left speechless. My heart bled out for the child, trying to see things through his eyes and picture just how much pain he must be going through even now. He was a demon, this was true, but Shippō was nothing like the monster that attacked me. He was a little boy that missed his father, and was put through something that unfairly happened because of the greed of other people. A lump formed in the back of my throat and my vision began to blur. It was hard trying not to burst out into tears and hug the poor kid. I forced myself to remain still, listening in silence to his story despite desperately wanting to comfort him. Though, even if I did try to comfort him, I wouldn't even know how to or what to say to make him feel better.
How could I? His father was dead. I'm just some strange woman he's trying to help; nothing I could say or do would cheer him up.
Shippō seemed to notice that he wasn't the only one on the verge of tears. He sniffled and brought a hand up, rubbing at his eyes, and choked out with a strained grin, "B-But I'm okay! I-Inuyasha and Kagome helped me avenge him, s-so… I know he's safe in heaven now. And without him and Kagome I would have been killed, too. I have nowhere else to go except with them. They're all I have now that my family is gone. A-And… And…"
He cleared his throat, looking at me with a gaze full of sympathy and determination.
"And that's why I want to help you so much, Irene! Your sister is here in this time, too, s-so… that means she's all you have right now! If… If I can… I want to help you guys reunite!"
That was the final straw. Lips curled back and teeth ground tightly together, I choked back the sob desperately trying to form. It was hard to breathe. My vision was so blurry at this point I could barely even see Shippō, but I still gave him as grateful a smile as I could manage.
"Th-Thank you… Shippo."
"I-I just don't want you to go through the same thing I did." The fox demon choked out, hugging the drawing to his chest tightly. "Being alone i-is… it's scary. What's happened to me is in the past, b-but… there's still hope for you! W-When we find your sister, we can find whatever brought you here! Then… Then you guys can go back and be with your whole family!"
"Y-Yeah…"
Several villagers walking by gave us strange looks; some were filled with pity, others with concern. Neither of us paid them much attention though, and simply sat there together in silence for a few minutes, tears streaming down our faces. After a while Shippō sniffled and sat up, holding the sketchbook up for me to see. I blinked repeatedly, wiping at my face with my sleeve, and stared at the drawing.
"Th… This is him." The young demon flipped the page, picking up his crayons. "Do… Do you think," Shippō rubbed his eyes against his shoulders, "you can draw Maria? O-Or tell me what she looks like? It might be easier to… find her this way."
He had a point; we could easily show the picture to anyone we asked about her. It helped that Shippō was a very good artist for his age. I was as well, but with my right arm out of commission… I wouldn't be able to do anything. Resting the back of my head against the wall, I waited a few seconds to relax before attempting to speak again. "She's… tall. Five eight…. freckles. She's… really pretty." Shippo hurriedly began taking out crayons from the box and began to sketch out the outline with a black crayon, "Short hair. Reddish- like yours…"
"Really?" He sounded surprised. "I never met a human with such light hair. Is that normal where you live?"
"Kinda, yeah. Lots of blond hair. Don't see... a lot of redheads, though." Voice was breathy. Rapsy. Exhausted. "Um… hair is styled- like mine… but neater. Blue-green… for her eyes…"
It was nice having someone to talk and listen to without feeling like a horrible human being every five minutes, but it took a lot of air out of me. I desperately needed to use my nebulizer, but there was no doing so without electricity or the machine itself. I was beginning to think I was going to die in this time period before I could even leave Kaede's village. The conversation soon ended and I began to doze off, but the fear of not waking up snapped me right into awareness.
"Look!" Shippō declared a few minutes later, proud of his creation. "I finished! How does it look?"
I looked at the drawing, a weak grin forming on my lips as I gave a small nod. "Yeah… pretty good, Shippō. I'm proud… of you…"
With an almost teary look in his eyes, he ripped out the drawing and bounded over. I watched and stared blankly at the child as he held the picture out to me. He smiled. "It's for you! That way you have her with you. Kinda. And you can show it to anyone you ask about her, so they know if they really did see her or not!"
Seeing the drawing made me miss my sister even more, but also made me feel rather happy. Such a simple thing…
I took the picture into my hand and stared at it, biting hard on my bottom lip as my vision blurred.
Maria…
I will find you. No matter what it takes. Placing the fingers on my left hand lightly on the paper, I ran my fingers along the image of my older sister. "Thank you… Shippō."
Near the end of the day Inuyasha showed up at the hut, but Kagome didn't return through the Bone-Eater's well with him. Apparently she had only showed up long enough to drop off some more medicinal supplies for Kaede's stock and left again.
…
Getting Maria to stay calm enough to let them close took quite a while, and convincing her to come with them took even longer than that. It required a lot of miscommunication, and in the end they all started drawing in the dirt to get each other's points across so they could explain what they wanted to do. It helped tremendously.
By the time it was nearly dark they had made it to the base of some caves just outside of their den. It was Ginta who noticed Maria falling behind them, the young woman struggling to get over the rocky and uneven terrain. It was then he noticed the scent of human blood coming from her, the wind shifting and blowing Maria's scent all over him. The demon came to an abrupt stop, looking back at her worriedly. "Hakkaku, I think she's hurt…"
"Hah?" The other wolf demon raised his head up and sniffed the air, eyes widening. "You're right! Hey, Maria!" He whirled around, clamoring on over to the female. The auburn-haired woman stiffened as he moved over, still not totally comfortable around them. "You hurt?" When all he received was a blank stare Hakkaku sighed. He sniffed the air again and crouched down, grabbing her leg without warning and earning a startled, yet pained yelp from her. Lifting the stained cloth covering her leg (known only to Maria as denim) he could see the makeshift bandage she had created. It was coated red, some of it old and the rest newly covered in fresh blood.
Ginta walked over, observing Maria's wound before meeting her strained gaze. He gestured to the leg, even more concerned now. "How did you get hurt like that? Were you attacked?"
She watched him in confusion when her eyes suddenly widened in understanding. Reaching back, she pulled out a broken talon that looked to be from a centipede demon. Both men stared at it and then at her, bewildered as the dots slowly aligned in their minds. Another packmate had mentioned seeing the corpse of the west wood's demon at the bottom of a ravine, but this?
Hakkaku decided to look at the bright side of the situation, standing with a grin. "That explains that, then! And you even got war spoils from it!"
Seeming to have recovered from his shock, Ginta shook his head. "It is pretty impressive, but how's the leg?"
"She can't climb the mountains on it." Hakkaku pointed out, frowning. He crossed his arms. "Guess I'll have to carry her."
"I suppose…"
"What?" Maria's voice cut through their conversation. The demons turned to face her, Maria twitching at the attention. She shifted a little as she put the claw away, and spoke slowly. "What…?"
She wanted to know what they were saying. "Oh."
"I get it!" Hakkaku pointed up the mountain and then to her leg, shaking his head. Maria pondered his actions for a moment before folding her arms over her chest and scowling, almost offended. She made to walk past them, but was stopped by Ginta grabbing her arm.
"Stop! You'll get hurt again."
Maria snapped something as she yanked on her arm, expression filled with mild fear. Ginta released her immediately, looking almost hurt. "We're not gonna hurt you," he told her quietly, "We're just trying to keep from getting hurt again."
"Hey, see if she'll climb on your back."
"What? Oh, right. Sure." Half-turning and crouching down, both men spent many long minutes trying to show- and then convince- Maria to get onto one of their backs. Skeptically, and obviously reluctantly, the human allowed herself to clamor onto Ginta's back. The armor made it very uncomfortable, but being off of her injured leg felt amazing. After making sure she had a good firm hold, he looked up at his friend. "You ready?"
"Let's go."
And with that they were off. Since they didn't have to slow their pace down anymore to accommodate Maria's injury they could travel much faster. The moon was high in the sky by the time they made it to the den. Several pack members they passed gave them strange looks, befuddled as to why they were carrying a human woman. Once they entered the main area Ginta set Maria down on her feet as gently as possible, doing his best not to disturb her wound.
Maria may have been exhausted and her leg might have been in intense pain, but she managed to stay steady and keep balance. Something suddenly moved against her, causing her to tense and looked down. One of the wolves from earlier- the ones she had fed- was brushing against her. A hesitant smile formed on her lips and she moved down, lightly scratching behind the wolf's ears.
"Maria?" Hakkaku called out from within the mount of a cave entrance. A cave filled and surrounded with wolves and humanoid demons.
Well, she thought, trying to feel a little proud of herself despite the fear gnawing away inside her heart, if I die here at least it means they had to have the whole pack take me out.
Following Ginta inside, her thoughts came to a halt, the woman taking in the appearance of the cave. From the outside it was fairly simple and plain, but inside? It was covered in furs, rugs, baskets and satchels littered with food, weapons, fabrics, and armor. There were even some gems strewn about. The wolves moved freely about the area, but the one nuzzling her hand was still beside her.
Huh.
Ginta leaned over, whispering something to the woman that sounded like it had to be close to "relax" or "calm down". She found that rather ridiculous; here she was in a foreign country, where demons apparently existed? She was literally in a den full of wolves. Relaxing is going to be so easy. Piece of cake. Really. Maria isn't stressed out at all. Oh no. Her asthma isn't bothering her either. Everything is fine.
Fuck.
Hakkaku moved forward, holding an arm out and gesturing to Maria and Ginta, and to a man- or rather, a teenage boy- that was slowly approaching. He rattled on for a bit, but then a familiar, single word caught her attention.
"Kōga."
…
Kōga watched as his fellow packmates brought forth a young woman, one who was wounded if the smell of blood was anything to go by, and utterly filthy. But, judging from what he could see of her, she was certainly different. Hakkaku was carrying on about what had took them so long to return, and gestured to the young woman standing beside Ginta and a wolf. "Maria," He said, "this is our pack leader and chief, Kōga. He commands the wolf demon tribe."
The woman named Maria turned her eyes to him. Eyes that were so striking in color and could never be found in the current era of Japan. They were blue, yet somehow green at the same time- a gold burst spreading out around her pupils. It was unusual, impossible for any known human to have. He couldn't even recall any demon with such a strange eye color. Maria's gaze did not falter or cower as she stared at the leader of the wolf demon tribe, the woman taking in his appearance, and only looked away to focus on Hakkaku.
"Kōga?" She asked, echoing the name as she pointed at him. She made quick gestures with her hands, speaking words that the demon pack leader didn't understand.
"Yeah," Ginta affirmed softly, "just like we said before. Kōga." Maria turned back to face the leader, looking him over. Touching her chest she inclined her head slightly, as if in recognition.
"Maria." She said, introducing herself. Kōga raised a brow in surprise, having not expected the woman to have respect. It was then that he noticed her clothes, the way she held herself. It reminded him greatly of…
The demon didn't hear what Hakkaku had to say next. Without time to waste Kōga was on his feet and in front of the woman in a flash of dust and whirlwind, hands gripping the front of her shirt tightly. "What did you do to Kagome!?"
Ginta let out a shriek, nearly toppling backwards from the movent and the sudden surge of rage from his leader. Hakkaku ran up, trying desperately to calm the wolf demon. "W-Wait, Kōga! It isn't like that! She doesn't-"
Maria glared darkly at Kōga, rambling something in her foreign tongue as she pushed Kōga back. The only word out of her mouth the wolf demon understood was his Kagome's name. With a snarl he snatched her arm in his hand, easily lifting her off the ground and leaving her dangling in the air. She winced a little, but quickly hid her pain and intensified her glare. Kōga leaned in close, fangs bared as she growled, "I'll ask you one more time, human; where. Is. Kagome?"
Maria's expression did not change save for the single bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face, eyes hard and searching for something. If it weren't for that one giveaway of nervousness, Kōga would have thought the woman showed no fear. He distantly heard Hakkaku trying to appease him, but it was Ginta's words that caught his attention.
"Maria, please, put it down! It's fine, okay? He doesn't understand yet! Just… put it down."
What is he talking about? Kōga glanced at Ginta with narrowed eyes, wondering what he was telling her to put down, when he felt it. The scent of his own blood and the faintest prick of a blade against his neck, pressure being placed on his throat. He glanced down, seeing that it was actually not a blade, but a demon limb that had made him bleed.
And in front of over half of his pack.
"Let. Go." Maria hissed. The first and only sentence Kōga understood her saying. The demon and human locked eyes, blue and- amber? A blue-green?- clashing before he decided to lower her back onto the ground. Maria quickly stepped back, ignoring the fact that he had not yet released her arm. The talon was held in her free hand, pulled close and ready to lash out should it be deemed necessary.
"Kōga," Hakkaku exclaimed, beginning anxiously, "we've been trying to tell you! She doesn't know Kagome!"
"What?" Kōga blinked, turning to face him now that his initial rage has subsided.
Ginta nodded his head. "Yeah. We're pretty sure she's from the same time period as Kagome, but she doesn't know her. She's from a place called… um…" He looked at the female human. "Maria, home?"
"Home?" Maria made a face, before realizing. "Ah. Home. America."
Kōga looked at her like she was an idiot, earning a huff from the brunette.
"America is not…" She struggled for the word. "...find… yet?"
"Found." Hakkaku corrected. Maria nodded.
"Found. Thank you very much." She then pulled lightly at her arm, looking up at Kōga. "Let go. ...Please?"
Kōga squeezed lightly, wanting to interrogate her some more, before letting go. He took a step back, placing his hands on his hips. "She's got manners; I'll give her that. So," He turned to his two main companions, "why'd you bring her here?"
Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other before answering. "Well…"
"You see…"
They went into the long story of how they encountered Maria, and how they discovered she was from the future with little-to-no-knowledge of their language. She had no idea how she got there and that she was separated from her little sister. The latter had taken a while to explain earlier given the language barrier, as well as a backstory to how she had fought and technically killed the centipede demon. Kōga sat and listened to all of this whilst watching Maria- who was comfortably sitting on the floor, petting one of Koga's prized wolves as if she had known him all her life. While Hakkaku did the majority of the story telling, Ginta was properly bandaging Maria's leg- as well as caring for any other scratches and marks she obtained during her fall.
He observed the way she smiled at the wolf and at Ginta, both gesturing in an attempt to communicate and grinning occasionally when they both understood something. The woman was not the slightest bit afraid, even in a den full of demons.
"So…" Hakkaku started to question, glancing at their new guest. "What do you want to do, Kōga?"
She was a woman out of her time, looking for her missing sister, and held her own against a centipede demon three times her size. Not to mention that she left a cut on Kōga himself. He supposed he could help her, at least if it meant he could see his beautiful Kagome again.
"Alright." He decided. "We'll help her."
Ginta overheard this and looked up from his spot on the floor, nearly dropping the bandages he was holding. "Really!?"
Kōga waved a hand in the air, turning his back to them with his other hand still on his hip. "Yeah, sure, why not? Get her bathed, fed, and- I think So'aku has some human clothes she can wear? Just get rid of all that filth. I'm amazed she's survived this long on her own."
Hakkaku brought his fists up in excitement, glad that his and Ginta's new friend was going to get to live a little longer. "Kōga, you're the best! Thank you!"
"Right, just get it done. And work on her speech while you're at it; I want to be able to hold an actual conversation with her."
"We will!" Hakkaku promised. Ginta nodded his head fervently.
"Absolutely!"
Kōga strolled over to Maria and the wolf, kneeling down before them. The woman blinked up at him in confusion, watching as he extended his hand out to her. Kōga couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face when he saw her cautiously take it. "Welcome to the Wolf Demon Tribe… Maria."
...
Several more days passed and Inuyasha was sulking even more than before, aggravated at everything and everyone around him. My injury was starting to feel better and I had the incredible desire to draw, so after some convincing Shippō let me borrow one of the many sketchbooks he owned and we drew together.
By the time Kaede returned to the hut the floor was covered in paper. Shippō apparently had the same habit as I did when it came to drawing and ripped out every piece of paper he colored on. It was a mess and Kaede wasn't too pleased when she found it difficult to walk around the hut because of all the papers, but she did compliment us on our work. Of course, that was only after scolding me for using my hand. I just waved it off, saying that it didn't hurt at all, and Shippo began to clean up our mess as Kaede forced me to take the robe off so she could check my injuries.
Shippō continued to color as Kaede unwrapped my bandages, striking up conversation. He asked where I learned to draw like I did or if I was self-taught like he was, and was surprised when I told him it was the latter. "The skill kinda runs in the family, though Maria and I are the only ones who really draw. My brother did, but decided he wanted to be original and stopped. The three of us all play instruments, though; Clair's the only one that doesn't. She sings."
Kaede hummed at that, intrigued by any information about the modern age. "I see. Only noblewomen have been known to play instruments, such as the harp or flute… Do you come from a wealthy family, Irene?"
I snorted at that. "I wish. I'd have a new pair of lungs." Seeing their confused expressions I quickly explained to them what transplants were. I then continued, "Yeah, no. We're from a pretty average family, I guess. We get by. Uh… ho-how's my shoulder?"
Kaede tied the bandage back in place and smiled. "You're healing quickly," She told me, pleased, "Young Kagome's medicine helps most nicely."
The fact that Kagome even had surgical tools in a first-aid kid concerned me. I knew first-hand that the outside world was dangerous, but it made me scared as to what kind of danger they get into. Surely if they had so much medicine they get into battles frequently? Not knowing what else to do, I simply nodded at Kaede's words.
"Does this mean Irene will be able to leave soon!?" Shippō asked, bounding over with bright eyes. "Kagome should be back any day now! We can head to Akebi village!" Kaede nodded. "It's weird for her to be gone this long, anyway. She said she had another "exam" to battle, but…" He made a face, placing a hand on his hip. "I dunno. I'm sorta worried. Inuyasha doesn't seem too bothered about it; he's just grumpy she made him come back here without her."
I'm beginning to suspect Inuyasha has a crush on Kagome. Aren't they from two different time periods, though? How will that work?
...Probably in disaster…
Unless one of them decides to give up their life in one world to live in the other.
This sounds like a bad fanfiction, I thought, making a face when my mind began to try and piece together all sorts of different scenarios. Then again, I am guilty of writing some. Blech. Obsessions.
All of that sounds far too heartbreaking and like way too much work. Besides, they're fifteen.
Wait. This is medieval times.
People get married at fifteen.
It doesn't help that middle schoolers care more about dating than figuring out how to skip running the mile in gym class nowadays, either. I hope Kagome isn't one of them, but… there's no salvaging Inuyasha's innocence since he was born in this era. Lovely. Well, I must at least try to protect Shippō then seeing as he's still a child; I don't want him to grow up into a creep.
"Hey, Irene!" The small child in question climbed into my lap, grinning up at me with big green eyes. "We should go for a walk!"
"...To where?"
"Anywhere! You haven't seen the village completely yet, have you? I can give you a tour!"
Shippō and I seemed to have bonded a little over the emotional conversation we had a few days ago, so the barrier I normally felt when talking to people had vanished around him and he seemed to have formed a strange attachment to me. Perhaps it was because he was a child, or maybe even simply because we both could relate to each other in some way, but he quickly became my new best friend in this strange land.
I wasn't exactly keen on leaving the hut, but I was extremely bored and Shippō was intent on showing me around. Kaede had been letting me wear some old kimonos of hers, as even if my clothes were fixed it would only aggravate my wound trying to change in and out of them. Kimonos were easy to take on-and-off in comparison.
Also quite comfortable, as I was beginning to learn. The fabric was rather soft on the majority of them. Slowly standing, I picked Shippō up and held him in my arms. He was much lighter than any other child I held. Eight pounds, maybe? So light. I headed in the direction he told me to, making my way over to a rice field. "That's where they plant everything! Rice, vegetables, and all sorts of stuff! And if you follow this path and go through the forest you'll end up at the Bone-Eater's well! Wanna see it?"
I stopped just a few feet away from the entry to the forest. I looked at Shippō, recalling what happened the previous day with great detail. "But… demons are… mean demons are in there..."
"Sometimes, yeah. But after you got attacked the one day Inuyasha went and swept through the place with tetsusaiga to make sure anymore super dangerous ones were gone!" The fox demon explained. "It was bad enough you got attacked, but he didn't want to risk Kagome getting hurt, too. He may act like a jerk, but Inuyasha does have his nice days. He kills anything that could be a threat to us or the village."
His words helped calm my anxiety a little, but there was still a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. The more I learned about the half-demon the less I disliked him, but at the same time I was still uncomfortable around him. He was just so angry all the time and… I don't handle being yelled at very good. It makes me feel like I did something wrong, and like I was worthless. I hated it. Still… he didn't seem to be a bad person.
He saved me twice now, after all, when he didn't need to. He claimed it was because he would get chewed out for leaving me to die, but the way Shippō and Kaede talk makes it sound like he really does care for people- he just doesn't like to admit it. Wait a minute.
Is Inuyasha a tsundere? The thought amused me, my brain comparing him to classic anime character tropes. It certainly explained a lot to my oxygen deprived brain. Well, I mean, I don't think we can be friends, but I'd still like to try… at least.
He's just so hard to get along with.
"What's wrong, Irene?" Shippō asked, looking up at me with a worried frown. "You're sighing again."
Oh. Oops. I've been doing that a lot, haven't I?
"See! You did it again- just there!"
I made a face at that. "Sorry. I was just… thinking."
"About home?"
Not particularly, but I'll let you think that. I gave a small shrug in response, not really wanting to talk about my personal feelings anymore than I had already. Deciding now would be a good time to distract the small child I began to walk into the forest, praying that Inuyasha really did destroy any demons that would come off as threats and that Shippō's words weren't just an exaggeration.
The fox demon was telling me all about how whenever Kagome wishes to return home they all head back to Kaede's village. The place was a bit of a safe haven for them, where they could rest and not worry about being attacked. Of course, there was the odd time here-or-there where one of them were being targeted and as such the trouble came to the village, but that didn't happen often. "Grandma Kaede is really nice! I'm sure you've noticed, but she's also really wise. She gives us advice all the time!"
I nodded at his words. I did notice, and that was half the reason I felt so bad for taking up so much of her time. I was extremely grateful for everything she's done; she gave me a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat… and was even using the medicine Kagome left behind as well as her own special herbal brews to care for my wounds. I appreciated everything, but… I felt like such a nuisance.
I don't want to die, but without my nebulizer I feel like I'm going to end up doing so anyway. The only thing keeping me alive right now was the fact that the air here was so clean.
After about fifteen to twenty minutes we finally arrived at the old well. I walked up to it, Shippō hopping out of my arms to land on the wooden rim of the well. He looked down, pointing inside. "This is where Kagome comes to go home! I've only seen it a few times, but-" The young fox cut himself off, the dark musty inside of the well suddenly shining with a blue light. My eyes widened, instantly recognizing that light as the same light that had surrounded me and Maria as we fell through the ground.
Yes, there was a red light that had shone when we touched the rock and had burned through my leg, but there was also a blue light. That blue light had shone and glimmered like the night sky, almost as though we were in space itself. I watched with bated breath as the light grew brighter and brighter, walking forward and staring down inside the well with big curiosity. My heart raced with anticipation, and though it left me dizzy I paid it little mind. My attention was focused solely on the young teenage girl appearing at the bottom of the well, the light fading away around her as she dropped her ridiculously huge yellow backpack on the ground.
"Phew!" She gasped, rolling one of her shoulders. "I packed more than I should've… so heavy…"
"K… Kagome!?" I called out, breathless, wanting to make sure that what I saw was real. The young Japanese girl looked up in surprise, a small smile spreading across her face. She raised a hand up in the air and waved at me and my demon companion.
"Hey! Irene, Shippō! Sorry I'm late! I had to take a few make-up tests!" The girl put her backpack on and walked over to the vines sprawled over the old stone walls, grabbing onto them and climbing up slowly. "I'm glad… to see that you're doing better!" She heaved, pulling herself up onto the wooden ledge and rolling onto the ground. Kagome removed herself from the yellow bag and got onto her knees, opening it. "I brought some stuff for you!"
I blinked, utterly confused when she pulled out a medium-sized box colored such a bright yellow it almost rivalled her backpack. It was only when I saw the sides of it that realization hit me. It was a portable outlet. It looked much bigger and much chunkier than what I've seen back home, but… it was definitely a portable power outlet. Did Kagome-?
"Annnd also medicine! Tada~!" She held up something up that looked so familiar I almost cried. A white portable- if not slightly outdated- nebulizer. "I talked to my Grandpa and he managed to come up with some nonsense about his health, and after some lies about his breathing we were able to get one! It was easy considering how old he is." She made a face, lowering the item, and said, "The doctor did put him on an inhaler now, since all the dust from cleaning the shrine has gotten to him. But it's all good!"
Kagome… and her grandfather… lied. They lied… to help me?
The girl let out a yelp when I suddenly fell to my knees and hugged her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders tightly. My eyes burned hotly, stinging with tears, and my lips curled back as I choked down a sob. Kagome's expression softened and, after setting the nebulizer down, reciprocated my embrace. "I'm really sorry it took so long to get back to you… but it's okay now."
Shippō looked at the small nebulizer and the portable outlet in fascination, stunned by the fact that this was going to help my lungs. "It's a good thing you can travel, Kagome," He commented, poking the top of the outlet box in curiosity, "otherwise I don't think she'd make it. Her wounds have been healing, but her breathing keeps getting more shallow by the day!"
Kagome and I pulled away from each other, the girl packing everything back into the bag and me wiping at my face and trying my hardest to keep my emotions in check. I had to stay calm- at least for now. We both stood, and we were all about to start walking when a flash of red appeared and Inuyasha was in front of us. "KAGOME! It's about time! We have to get looking for the jewel shards!"
"I know, Inuyasha." She told him, behavior taking a total turn as she became grumpy. "Jeez," She muttered, "you can at least pretend to be happy I'm back."
"Hah? The hell you talking about?"
"Nothing." She sighed. "Forget it. Let's get back to the village. Irene can take the medicine I brought and we can head out for Akebi afterwards."
Inuyasha's ears twitched. He looked at me, hands in his sleeves. "Medicine?"
"You'll see." Kagome hummed, walking forward. She then came to an abrupt stop, looking at me. "Actually, you know what? Inuyasha- can you carry Irene and my bag to Kaede's hut? The faster she takes the medicine the better."
He opened his mouth to complain, but thought better of it. Next thing I knew he had the bag on his back, and I was being scooped up into his arms. Fully aware of the situation this time the awkwardness that was my entire being hit and I was left a stammering, flustered mess. I tried to protest, to tell him to set me down and that I'd be fine for a few more minutes, but I wound up coughing into my shoulder and gasping for air instead.
"Hurry!" Kagome shouted, and with a scoff of indignation Inuyasha took off running. A small shriek escaped my lips and I grabbed onto his kimono, wondering briefly if he had moved this fast last time when he found me being attacked by that giant demon. The half-demon leapt high up into the air, and I flinched when we were leaping off one tree branch to another. I was scared we were going to get hit by one of the branches or a spider was going to land on us. I abhorred bugs with a passion.
...Myoga was an exception. He was a decent enough person.
I think I blacked out sometime during the rush to the village, because one moment we were still in the forest and the next Inuyasha was kicking the hanging door out of his way, shouting for the old priestess as we entered the hut. I could scarcely breathe. Inuyasha put me down with surprising carefulness, resting my back against the wall, before sliding the huge bag off his arms and setting it down. He rummaged through it, pulling out several different objects and asking if it was the medicine Kagome was talking about.
Dazed and vision starting to blur, I shook my head slowly. "N-No…" How to describe it? "Wh-White…" My fingers twitched. "Machine."
"Machine?" He echoed, confused, before pulling out three different objects until he landed on the right one. Inuyasha held it in the air. "This?"
I nodded. I then reached out with my hand weakly. "G-Give… bag…"
The half-demon didn't argue, sliding the huge pack over towards me so it was at my left side, and set the small white machine on my lap. I tiredly rummaged through the bag, grunting in pain when I tried to lift the huge portable outlet up with just one hand. Inuyasha was quick to help, lifting the item without any trouble or hesitation and setting it in front of me. "This?"
Another nod. I rummaged a bit more, stopping only once I found the mouthpiece, tube, and the box of medicine. The half-demon looked bothered by all the items, but watched in silence as I quietly got to work. I plugged the nebulizer into the portable outlet, stuck the tube onto the mouthpiece and nebulizer, and ripped open the box with the medicine. I had to tear open the packaging so I could get to the packets, and then had to rip off one of the many little tubes of medicine before I could pour it into the mouthpiece. When I was finally done I pressed the black button, inhaling the medicine and leaning my head back as instant relief rushed over me.
Inuyasha's ears twitched again, the teen sitting on all fours in a fashion similar to a dog, and made a face at the noisy machine. "This is what you needed? I know your guys' time is far more advanced than ours, but to think that can help your lungs…"
I said nothing and made no movement, too focused on inhaling medicine to care about anything else. I had never felt so alive until this moment, having suffered for so long without being able to use the nebulizer. Inuyasha and I sat there in silence for ten minutes, nothing being said until Kagome and Shippō arrived together. The fox demon was startled to hear how noisy the machine was, jumping a little when he saw it, and watched with big eyes as smoke drifted out of the top of the mouthpiece.
"This is so weird~ Kagome, you really lugged these things in your bag!?"
Kagome nodded, stretching loudly before slumping over. "I thought my back was going to break…"
I gave her an apologetic look, finally feeling good enough to join the conversation again. Kagome grabbed her back and began to take out several bags of chips and instant ramen, along with some bentos. I blinked, having not expected such a thing, and had to remind myself for a moment that this was Japan.
"I made some lunch for everyone! Sango and Miroku aren't here so I excluded them, but I made enough for you guys!"
Let me tell you, the smell as Inuyasha and Shippō opened their bentos was amazing. My stomach grumbled so loudly and my mouth almost watering at the sight of normal food. Was that an omelette? Rice? Chicken? If I didn't need to inhale the medicine so badly I probably would have chucked it in favor of food, but my lungs were so deprived.
Fifteen more minutes passed before there was no more smoke exuding from the mouthpiece, and the medicine was effectively inhaled. I popped the piece out of my mouth with a loud, audible gasp. I proceeded to stretch my legs out, exclaiming, "I live~!"
I still felt a bit weak, but that was to be expected considering I went so long without it. I pulled the pieces apart and wrapped them up, setting them into the bag I found them in. A small bag within the big neon bag. Why did Kagome bring two? Unless… ah, yeah, that makes sense. She probably expects me to carry the machines. Understandable.
"Feewing better?" Inuyasha asked, mouth full of ramen. He had long since finished the bento Kagome made, and was working on eating the other snacks she brought. Shippo was eating candy. The group looked at me, Kagome pulling out a bento and setting it down next to her. I crawled over, pointing at it anxiously, and she nodded with an amused smile.
"Yes!" I cheered, both answering the half-demon's question and being excited for food. I opened it, accepting the chopsticks Kagome handed me cautiously. I had gotten better at eating with them thanks to instruction from Kaede, but I was still a little awkward. "Thank you~ oh my god this smells so good!"
I lifted the bento up to my face, giggling excitedly to myself. Shippō made a face, grinning. "You know, you're acting really childish now that you can breathe."
"Yes, yes, yes!" I hummed, hovering my chopsticks over the different parts of the bento in decision over which one to eat first. "Guilty as charged. I'm a child. Fight me. Oh my god. Kagome, you are a literal angel from above and I thank you!" I cut at the omelette with the chopsticks, picking up a piece and biting into it. I swayed a little in my seat, continuing to hum as I chewed with my eyes closed and a smile on my face.
Kagome raised a hand to her mouth, smiling. "I don't think I'm that great, but I'm glad you're doing better!"
Swallowing the egg piece, I almost started crying again. "It tastes so good! Kagome! Kagome! I love you! You're amazing! You angel! You majestic human being!"
She was starting to turn a little pink this time, flustered by all the praise. Kagome was clearly enjoying the compliments though. "Come on- flattery will get you nowhere. I do wish I could take you back with me, though; I'm sure you could use a real bath."
I didn't say anything at that, both not knowing what to say and because I also didn't want to think about it. Shippō spoke for me, commenting as licked a lollipop, "She hasn't even tried to the Bone-Eater's well yet! I don't see why, considering if it did work she could just come right back."
Ah. Wait a minute. That makes sense. I chewed on the teriyaki chicken for a moment, savoring the delectable sauce, and commented, "I mean… I guess I could try it... " I was thinking that it was a one-way ticket back when it was suggested during my arrival. However, Kagome could go back-and-forth without any trouble. "I mean, I'd still be in Japan and not America, but it would be nice to see 2018 again."
Kagome suddenly balked. "Wh-What!?" I blinked, turning to face as I bit into another piece of omelette. Inuyasha and Shippō looked startled at her reaction. "What did you say!?"
"I wouldn't be in America?"
"No, after that!" She cried out, standing up and looking down at me. "You said 2018!"
"Uh, yeah…" I don't get it. Unless… no. Realization dawned on my face. "You're not…"
Kagome nodded frantically. "I'm from 1996!"
Kaede walked in at this exact moment, overhearing the conversation take place. Inuyasha and Shippō stopped eating, coming to an understanding of what this meant. The old priestess spoke, staring at us with her hands laced behind her back. "Ye both come from different times… and for what reason?"
If I am able to go through the well… I wouldn't be in my own era. In fact, I wouldn't have even been born yet. Would this cause a time paradox if I was able to travel to Kagome's era? What about Maria? What would happen to us? Would the world fall apart? Would I somehow do something that would prevent our very existence? Does this mean Kagome is actually my elder despite me biologically, in this moment, being an adult and her a teen?
What the heck!?
I lowered my head, groaning. "My brain hurts."
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