MODERN ERA

"Inuyasha ojii san!" exclaimed Yoshiaki as he ran towards the red figure. He had gathered that his uncle looked different from the Inu youkai he knew because he was a hanyou. Inuyasha's mother was a human too. He wondered why he was born a full demon.

"Ojii san, Ojii san. Yoshiaki how many times must I tell you not to address me as Ojii san? It makes me feel so old," said Inuyasha as he squatted down to look at the young prince.

"But you are my uncle and grandmother said we must greet everyone with respect."

Inuyasha snorted and brushed it off, "So the old Lady decided to grant you two days off to breath in the air of the countryside?"

"Yes, grandmother told me that I am allowed two days to stay in Kaede sama's village. After that, I can go back to the castle with mother."

"Hmm.. that's very thoughtful of her."

"Let's play catch!" exclaimed Yoshiaki playfully as he pulled on the side of Inuyasha's hatori.

"I'm not a pup anymore," snorted Inuyasha as he folded his hands.

"I don't mind. As long as you agree to play with me."

"Well, I do mind." Stressed Inuyasha and he lifted his hand up to smack his neck when he felt something painful like an ant bite. "Ouch!"

He opened up his palm and saw the familiar looking old flea.

"Greetings to you, Myouga sama," said Yoshiaki as he looked at the flea on his uncle's palm.

After Myouga regained his composure, he said "My my, what do we have here? It's Yoshiaki! Another short stay in Kaede's village?"

"Yes. What about you, Myouga sama?" asked Yoshiaki.

"Oh! You probably already know it, Yoshiaki. It is about the marriage alliance between your father and the Northern princess," answered Myouga.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"I met Lady Sakara. She is very pretty and graceful," said Yoshiaki as he looked thoughtfully at Inuyasha.

"That's not what I am concerned about. You mean the iceberg is getting married?" said Inuyasha as he looked at Myouga.

"It seems the wedding will be held in six months," said Myouga.

"Does Kagome know about it?" asked Inuyasha. There was a hint of concern in his voice.

"I think so, mother told me she met Lady Sakara at a tea ceremony," said Yoshiaki truthfully.

"That bastard. I will see how he is going to make up for this," vowed Inuyasha.

"Can I visit the well?" asked Yoshiaki as he turned his head and pointed at the forest.

"Of course you can. Inuyasha sama will bring you there but no one has pass through it except Kagome sama. Oh yes, Inuyasha sama as well but that was a long time ago," answered Myouga. Children were innocent and had such short attention span.

"Really? What was the other world like?" asked Yoshiaki as he looked at his uncle.

"Well, the place smelt terrible and there were dangerous creatures around. Something that ticks which Kagome called it an alarm clock and her bicycle is ridiculous. But the ramen is delicious," said Inuyasha as he led the young boy deep inside the forest, putting aside his thoughts on the previous conversation.

"That sounds really interesting. I wish I could see the other world," said Yoshiaki as he followed his uncle.

"Wait till you grow up. I am sure you can surpass five hundred years. Sesshoumaru sama is already over seven hundred years old," said Myouga as he jumped onto Yoshiaki's shoulder.

"Really?" asked Yoshiaki.

"I am quite certain," Myouga nodded.

"That would be wonderful. Oh wow," exclaimed Yoshiaki as he ran towards the well and peeped in. "It looked just like a normal well."

"Of course it does," snorted Inuyasha. Suddenly, his nose picked up an unfamiliar smell. He sensed danger.

"Look out!" shouted Inuyasha as he drew his sword and knocked down two flying blades.

Three attackers immerged from the woods with swords in their hands. Their faces were covered with a black cloth, showing only their eyes. Inuyasha growled at the attackers as he stood in front of Yoshiaki.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha said as he tilted Tetsusaiga dangerous at the three attackers. However, they made no response and made a jump to attack. Without hesitation, Inuyasha swung his sword, "WindScar!" and turned the three attackers into ashes. It seemed they were not as skilful as he thought.

"Feh!" snorted Inuyasha as Tetsusaiga turned back to its old form. He was confused by their intention and became aware that their goal was the boy when he sensed another youki behind him. He turned around quickly and was shocked to see another demon swinging a sword at Yoshiaki at the brink of the well.

"Yoshiaki!" cried Inuyasha as he used iron claws to eliminate the other demon and try to catch Yoshiaki from dropping down the well. However, when his hand reached down in the well, there was nothing down there. The boy was gone.

The last attacker was still breathing and he struggled to get up but Inuyasha grabbed his kimono and asked with menace, "Who sent you here?"

The attacker simply glared back at Inuyasha. Frustrated, Inuyasha tore the black cloth away from the attacker's face. As soon as he did, the attacker's eyes widened in pain and he began to melt. In an instant, Inuyasha realised his hold and watched the attacker melted into nothingness.

"Acids," muttered Inuyasha. He looked down the well once more and seeing that it was empty, he made a jump, hoping that the well would transport him to where Yoshiaki was. However, he only landed on the bottom of the well just like any other attempt after Naraku's death.

"Darn well, where is the boy?" Inuyasha said as he began to dig the soil, trying to find a way to access the other side of the world.

"Inuyasha sama, I think this is not a effective method to find Yoshiaki chan," said Myouga who landed on his shoulder.

Inuyasha stopped his digging and grabbed the flea in between his thumb and second finger, "Where were you just now?" growled Inuyasha as he glared at the old flea.

"I was just hiding away from danger," answered Myouga with an innocent smile.

Inuyasha growled in annoyance and pressed his fingers together before letting the flea fell to the bottom of the well.

Please be safe, Yoshiaki.

….

He was thrown down the well, yet he felt no impact of the fall. He felt himself floating and finally landed on the bottom of the well. He stretched his ears to hear any sound and realized the fighting had stopped but he could not sense any youki.

"Inuyasha ojii san?" said Yoshiaki as he climbed out of the well, his head turned to take in his surrounding. He was thrown into an unfamiliar place. He took a deep breath, the air smelt different. He opened the wooden and went out of the wooden building and spotted a shrine and a house. The place looked familiar, he had seen it in his mother's photographs. The wind blew his hair and his nose twitched, as he smelt his mother's scent. That was right. He concluded this must be where his mother had grown up and lived. He was in the other world.

Feeling excited, he traced the smell of his mother easily and came to a small open glass door at the second floor, and he climbed over it and landed in a room. There was a raised bed and many foreign looking objects that he had never seen before. He touched a few things here and there as he explored his mother's room.

Just then, he heard a sharp ringing tone. Feeling alarmed, he walked quietly out of the room and tried to find the source of the sound. He came upon a white strange looking object, which was making the strange loud piercing noise that hurt his ears. Just as he was about to destroy the horrendous object, it spoke.

"Hello, this is Higurash san. I am currently not at home. Please leave a message, I will contact you as soon as possible."

That must be grandmother's voice, Yoshiaki thought as he smiled.

Meanwhile, the object made a beep sound before the object spoke in another voice, "Sis, Keiko here. I am so worried. I heard father is unwell. Which hospital is he staying in? I will be coming to Tokyo this week. Do call back soon. Bye."

With that, the object stopped making any voice and Yoshiaki stared at the object as if it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

Being bored with no one in the house, Yoshiaki decided to explore this world and went out to look for something called hospital. He thought he might find his family there.

He walked down the street, oblivious to the stares people gave him as he walked on. He looked around to spot for any signs that would direct him to the place called hospital.

"Are you lost, boy?" asked a lady who tapped on his shoulder gently.

Yoshiaki turned around and looked at the lady, "I am looking for something called hospital."

"There are many hospitals around this area? What is the name of the hospital you are looking for?" asked the lady as she bent down so that her eyes leveled with Yoshiaki's.

Yoshiaki shook his head, "I do not know." He looked at the strange clothes which the lady dressed and commented, "You dress like my mother."

The lady smiled, "You dress like a warrior from the Warring state."

"I am," answered Yoshiaki.

"May I help you?" asked a man beside the lady. He was dressed in all blue and there was a name tag on his breast pocket which read "Police."

"I am afraid this boy is lost, Sir," answered the lady.

"Right, I think it is best if you come along with me to the police station," said the policeman as he held out his hand.

"I am not going anywhere, I am going to the hospital," said Yoshiaki as he stepped back from the policeman.

"Seriously, is this cosplay?" "The boy is too young." Yoshiaki ears twitched and his head turned to look at the crowds of people gathering around him. There were murmurs and some took out gadgets, which was so foreign. Suddenly, his eyes were blinded briefly by bright lights, which came from the strange gadgets. Yoshiaki felt very uncomfortable and he turned away from the crowd quickly and ran. Not knowing that he was running across the road.

"Don't run. It is dangerous," cried the policeman as he gave chase, searching for a whistle to blow.

"There are so many strange looking demons here," Yoshiaki thought as he successfully dodged the four wheeled demons that was making honking noises and coming towards him. However, he was unaware that were others that were coming from the opposite side of the road. This time the metal demon approaching him was much taller and bigger than the other. It was honking furiously and Yoshiaki was so stunned that he stood frozen to the ground.

…..

"Isn't he cute," squealed the girls in his class as they gathered to look at the touch screen on the phone.

Souta rolled his eyes as he focus his attention back on the computer to type his report. "Why can't this people be more considerate, this is a library," muttered Souta.

"Hey Souta check this out. A boy dressed up as a warrior in the warring state," said his friend.

"Pass," said Souta as he glued his eyes to the computer screen, ignoring his friend.

"Really, Souta. You would not want to miss this. This picture has just been uploaded a few hours ago and everyone is talking about it."

"Alright." Souta said as he took his friend's phone and glimpsed at the picture on the screen. The boy looked very familiar, he knew he had seen him somewhere before. His eyes were golden and he was wearing a white kimono, which matched his silver hair.

"Why is he doing here?" exclaimed Souta so loud that almost everyone in the library turned his or her head to look at him.

"Shh," the librarian chided.

…..

"Mama, I brought you lunch," said Kagome as she handed the lunch box to her mother. "Are you feeling better? Grandpa?" asked Kagome as she took a stool at sit beside the hospital bed.

"Yes, I am. I am so bored, Kagome my child. Have you brought anything for me?" said the old priest.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, the latest news was being broadcast on the television. "A traffic accident had happened. Fortunately, no one was injured. A car crashed into at bus when the bus suddenly stopped the engine in the middle of the road. The bus driver claimed that a strangely dressed boy ran across the road. A video camera was taken when the boy dashed across the road, oblivious to the cars. However, the boy is missing from the scene and the police are still investigating the case.

Kagome's phone rang and she answered, "Moshi moshi."

"Sis, Souta here. Have you read the news?" said Souta.

"Huh? What news? I am visiting grandpa now," answered Kagome as she looked up confused at the small television at the corner of the patient room. It was currently showing the popular television drama.

"Oh never mind. My school has this picture going wide. You have to look at it. I am sending you the picture," replied Souta anxiously.

"Okay," said Kagome as she looked at her phone and saw a new file was sent to her phone. She opened it and gasped when she saw the picture of her son. "Souta! Where did you get this picture?"

"It's a long story, anyway, it seems Yoshiaki is in Tokyo now. I mean in this era. We got to find him before anyone else."

"Right. I will be on my way to find him now. What about you?" said Kagome as she stood up and prepared to take her bag, earning a questioning look from Grandpa and her mother.

"I still have classes till three. Meanwhile, I will ask around to gather clues," answered Souta apologetically.

"It's alright. I will give you a call when I found him. Thanks."

After giving a short explanation to Grandpa and her mother, Kagome went out to search for her son. She looked at the picture more carefully and tried to identify the buildings in the background.

…

"Thank you for saving me, sir," said Yoshiaki gratefully as he looked up at his saviour who had carried him away from the road to a safe place. Yoshiaki felt much better as they walked in the park. There were fewer people and not many strange looking gadgets lying around.

"I am Kimura Toshi," replied Kimura.

"Thank you. Mr Kimura. I am Yoshiaki."

"Why did you run across the street? Yoshiaki kun. It is dangerous."

"I was scared. The people made me uncomfortable," answered Yoshiaki truthfully. He did not know the reason but he felt calm and safe with this adult. There was a familiar aura in him that Yoshiaki could not identify. It seemed as if they have met before.

"Indeed," Kimura nodded.

"Do you know me?" asked Yoshiaki curiously.

"Maybe. Where are you heading to, Yoshiaki kun?"

"A hospital. My great grandfather is there. Can you bring me there? But I do not know which hospital he is in."

"That is a difficult mystery to solve, isn't it? Who is your great grandfather?"

"Um, his surname is Higurashi and he is a Shinto priest. My family reside in the Shinto shrine around this area," answered Yoshiaki, trying to remember all the facts about his family in the modern era.

"You mean the Shinto shrine with the Scared tree?"

"Yes!"

"Hm, I guess I know where to find your family," answered Kimura with a smile.

"Really? How did you know? Are you a friend of great grandfather?"

"We are closer than friends," Kimura answered as he led the boy to the hospital.

….

Kagome looked around. Based on the photograph, Yoshiaki was supposed to be walking across this street. There were road blocks as if an accident had just happened.

Her phone rang and she answered, "Moshi moshi."

"Kagome, I found Yoshiaki," said her mother.

"Really. Where is he? In the hospital?" asked Kagome, feeling much relieved.

"Yes. Kimura san brought him here."

"Kimura san? Who is that?" asked Kagome as she tried to remember anyone by the surname. Yes, there were a couple of classmates in high school with that surname.

"It is hard to explain. Will you be coming over? Or shall I take him home? The visiting hours are over."

Kagome glanced at her watch and replied, "Take him home then. I will get back home soon."

"Sure. Goodbye and take care," said Kagome's mother as she placed the public phone down.

"What did Mother say?" asked Yoshiaki eagerly as he looked up at his grandmother.

"She said she will be waiting for us at home and we will be going home," replied his grandmother as she packed her bag.

"Goodbye great grandfather," said Yoshiaki as he kissed the old man on his cheek.

The old priest grinned. "Goodbye Yoshiaki. It is so wonderful to meet you."

"Me too! I will come and visit you again. I promise," said Yoshiaki.

The old priest smiled happily and turned to look at the man dressed in white, "By the way, thank you Kimura sensei."

"You are welcome. It is a coincidence to meet Yoshiaki kun."

"Nonetheless, we are grateful for your help," said Kagome's mother as she reached for the door to leave the wardroom.

"Hn. Take care then, Mrs Higurashi and Yoshiaki kun," said Kimura as he greeted them goodbye.

As Mrs Higurashi held onto the hand of her grandchild, she smiled, "Before we go back, it is best if you get changed first."

…

"Mama, Souta. I'm home." Kagome said as she took off her shoes at the genkan, noting that her mother's and brother's shoes were on the shelf. Yoshiaki came running to her wearing a set of Souta's old clothes.

"Mother!" Yoshiaki jumped into her embrace.

"Yoshiaki. How are you? I am so worried," said Kagome as she hugged her son back eagerly. She was glad that he was unhurt and safe.

"Everything is fine. I am sorry to worry you."

"Welcome home, sis. Mama is just preparing dinner," said Souta as he stood at the corridor with a book in his hand.

"Alright! I will just put down my things. Give me a minute," replied Kagome as she walked pass the corridor towards the staircase. Yoshiaki followed her behind excitedly, telling her about his day.

…

Yoshiaki sat on the bed as he browsed the storybooks that Kagome had brought to him. He yawned as he read finished the last page of the storybook and lied down on the bed. He stared at his mother's back, watching her typing on the laptop. It was fascinating to watch the kanji and letters appear on the screen instantly without Kagome holding a brush. It was intriguing and interesting.

Yet, he felt out of place. This era was where his mother grew up and lived. He never knew the extent of the difference between the two worlds until he experienced it himself. There were so many gadgets and things he did not know. He felt distant from the people around this era. The way people in this era act and the clothing they wore, it was not supposed to feel strange to him. Yet, this era was all so different and foreign to him. He disliked this feeling. Though he was very curious, he found it tiring to keep asking questions about different objects lying around him. He felt lonely and isolated. As if he was an outsider.

"Mother."

"Yes?" Kagome turned her head around to look at her son.

"I want to go home," said Yoshiaki as he looked at her mother. He hoped she could understand what he was feeling. He wanted to go back to the home where he grew up in. "When will we be going home?"

Kagome gazed at his eyes softly. She was shocked that he felt uncomfortable even though he adapted rather well.

"We will be going home tomorrow morning," she reassured him.

"Hn."