Okay, no reviews yet… a little discouraged, but I'm okay! Another chapter up and ready for ya! Be sure to review… please!
Chapter 2: And they called her Karen
The gang brought the girl along with them to a hut for the night. Miroku received the housing as a gift for performing an 'exorcism' on a naïve old man's home. They were all sitting around a fire, eating some fish that they had caught on their free time down by the river.
"Why don't you eat? You know, it's really not that bad once you give it a chance," Kagome insisted to the little girl who sat beside her, staring at her, supposed, meal.
She looked up at her with big, brown, childlike eyes, "No thank you…."
"I'm afraid we forgot to ask for your name," Miroku said.
"Oh, my name… I… don't remember…." she said taking her first bite of the fish.
"You don't remember your name? Where is your village?" Sango asked.
The girl lowered her head, "I don't remember. I don't remember anything…."
"… Nothing?" Kagome asked.
"No, nothing, not my name, not my village… nothing!" the girl said as she exhaled a long sigh.
"I see," Miroku said, "Well, you can't much older than nine or ten."
"Um… I guess…" the girl said.
"In that case, I'd like to ask you something," Miroku said as he grabbed her hand, "Will you consider baring my child one day?"
"…Huh?!" she asked nervously.
Then, Sango hit Miroku atop of his head with her large boomerang.
"Lecherous monk!" Sango and Kagome said at the same time.
"You're sick, Miroku," Inuyasha said with an annoyed tone. Miroku laughed nervously as he rubbed his head and the child pulled her hand away.
"Well… we can't just leave you without a name. Let's see…" Shippo thought out loud, "How about… Karen?"
"I like that!" Kagome and, the newly-named, Karen exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other and giggled while everyone else just stared at them in astonishment. Kagome and Karen stopped and stared at all of them.
"What's the matter?" Kagome asked.
"You two… you're so much alike!" Sango answered.
Inuyasha leaned back onto the wooden floor, "This could only be trouble."
Kagome put her hands on her hips, "What's that supposed to mean, Inuyasha?"
"It just means that I have another person to protect all the time," Inuyasha said in a bored voice.
Kagome began to stand up, "Well, I apologize for holding you back all the time!"
"I never said that!" Inuyasha stood up.
"You might as well have!"
Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all sighed. Karen just sat and watched the show. She leaned over toward the others. "Do they always fight like this?" she asked.
"Unfortunately, yes, but they always make up in the end of it all…." Miroku answered.
The argument went on and on, and grew louder and louder. Karen had reached her boiling point and she was about to blow.
"WHY DON'T YOU TWO JUST… SIT!" Karen demanded her eyes shut tight.
Then she heard a sudden thump and opened her eyes. Inuyasha had fallen to the ground and everyone was staring at him and her. Inuyasha lifted his head.
"What was that for, Kagome?!" Inuyasha stood up again.
"I-I didn't do that, Inuyasha… Karen did…."
They all turned their attention to the confused and shy child, "… I'm sorry!"
"Impossible! Only Kagome possesses that ability… no matter how many of us wish we could…" Miroku muttered. Inuyasha growled and turned away from him.
"Then that only means one thing. Karen is Kagome!" Inuyasha said.
"That's ridiculous, Inuyasha! Why would a younger Kagome be in this Era anyways?" Shippo stated.
Inuyasha froze, "Well… I…"
"And besides, if she is Kagome, then wouldn't she smell like Kagome?" Sango asked.
"That's the thing; she doesn't have a scent…." Inuyasha said sniffing Karen.
"Still, there's no proof other than that one ability we share…" Kagome said.
Inuyasha thought for a moment, "Hm… maybe you share another… Kagome, give Karen your bow and arrows!"
"Um… okay…." Kagome said.
She gave Karen a bow and arrow as instructed. Karen just stared at the items in her hands. She was confused as ever. They all walked outside.
"Karen, I want you to aim for that tree," Inuyasha pointed to a tree that stood about twenty feet away from her.
"Uh, I don't think I—"
Karen was interrupted by Inuyasha, "Just try, okay?!"
She wasn't sure why, but Karen was a bit nervous. She figured that she would do something wrong or embarrass herself in front of all these people. She strung the arrow back and released. The arrow didn't travel more than four feet ahead of her.
Her cheeks flushed, "I'm sorry! That was terrible…!"
"Try again," Inuyasha said, handing her another arrow.
Karen looked up at him, "But I—"
"Try again!" Inuyasha commanded, "Kagome didn't get it the first time, either. Just breathe heavily and take your time."
Karen blinked, then after awhile, she nodded. She closed her eyes and took a relieving breath. Once she was calm, she opened her eyes, now filled with determination. Inuyasha noticed this, as did the others. Kanala pulled the arrow back and held the bow firmly. Her eyes were locked on the target. She let go of the arrow. It went swooshing swiftly through the air and gave off a familiar glow; the glow that leaked from Kagome's arrows. The arrow came to a sudden stop as it hit the tree. Everyone stared in awe.
"She- she hit it. She hit the tree perfectly!" Kagome said and turned to Karen.
Kagome wasn't sure what to say. No one was. They were all struck dumb. Then, a rapid gust of wind rushed their way. Once it reached them it came to a sudden stop, and there stood the wolf-demon, Koga.
Alright, I don't know if any of you are confused, but trust me, it'll make more sense later on in the story. And if it still doesn't make sense later on, just message me and I'll explain. Anyways, don't forget to REVIEW (I'd like to reach about… six reviews by the third chapter)! Also, I don't really like this chapter. I just had to find a way to reveal the possibility that Karen could be Kagome. (Karen, in Japanese, means cute.)