InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wake Me Up Inside ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Kagome sighed as she walked back to the hospice after escorting Sherry home. In dusk, the sky was growing dark as the sun set behind a line of clouds. A stiff breeze danced through the air and Kagome watched it carry a few leaves along with it. Casually, she glanced towards the windows of the small strip of shops that lined her side of the street. Coming across a shop selling gift knickknacks, she paused to stare in the window a little more. Something compelled her to go inside. So she did.

The inside of the tiny shop looked like a mini Hallmark store. Kagome smiled as she passed by a shelf of Precious Moments figurines. Then, in the back, a black teddy bear caught her eye. It was a tad larger than the one the art teacher had, but it looked far fuzzier. It was also holding a pink book. Walking up to it, she reached out to let her fingertips brush across the fur. She gasped slightly, `So soft.'

Looking through the stock, Kagome found all the bears of this kind were black. But each one had a different color journal book. She found one holding a white book with gold letters. There was no longer any denying. She just had to buy it!

Picking the bear up, the miko carried it to the front counter and set it down. Seeing that the cashier was away at the moment, she waited patiently while looking around. A few minutes later, a rather large woman with dark brown hair flaked with silver stepped in and smiled.

"Sorry for the wait. Did ya find everythang all right?" the woman said in a voice moderately accented in Southern twang. Kagome frowned but found herself understanding well enough. Living in this city had certainly taught her how to decipher the Southern accents a bit better. Though, she still found herself having trouble at times.

"Umm, yes. I did. Thank you," Kagome replied as she pushed the bear towards the woman.

"Well, good. I'm glad. Say, what part of the world do you come from? Yer accent's different," the woman chattered as she picked up the bear and hunted for the register code.

"Japan," Kagome smiled diplomatically.

"Wow. Ya hear fer school then?"

"Yes," Kagome nodded.

"My, my. That's a heck of a long way to come. I hope yer enjoy'n it here," the woman replied as she punched a few buttons on the register.

"I am. It's the change of scenery I was needing. Tokyo's nice, but compared to this, it's way too cluttered," Kagome commented. "So it's nice to be near open land."

"Ahh, yes. I could understand that. I went to New York once with my kids. It was nice ta visit but, so many people and racket makes a gal like me all claustrophobic. Anyway, that'll be $23.40," the woman said. Kagome nodded and handed over her debt card. The woman swiped it and handed it back while the machine processed. She then handed Kagome the signature slip which the miko daintily signed and handed back. The woman put the bear in a bag with the receipt then handed the bag over the counter. "There ya go. You have a nice day. Good luck with school."

"Thanks," Kagome smiled then booked it out of the store as politely as possible. Once outside, she took a deep breath. Talking with people who carried such thick drawls in a language that was not native to her was a tiring task as far as she was concerned.

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After a long leisurely walk, Kagome finally arrived back at the hospice. Stepping inside, she wandered through the halls to Inuyasha's room. Like always, the first sight of him caused her heart to skip a beat. Yet, ever so slowly, she was starting to get use to this. Her eyes remained locked on his figure as she walked over to sit down next to his hip.

"I'm back. Sherry is nice, ne? And smart too," Kagome said as she thought on the girl she'd met earlier. Looking down, she set her purse in the arm chair and the bag she carried in her lap. She dumped the bag's contents in her lap then set it aside and tucked the receipt into a pocket in her purse. Then she picked up the bear to look at it some more.

The black bushy fur was exceptionally soft. Touching it was like touching Inuyasha's hanyou ears. The light filtered through the plush toy's glassy eyes to bounce off milk chocolate fake irises. In the bears lap, tied by a gold ribbon was the journal book. Kagome grasped a tab of the bow tie and pulled it undone. Then she lifted the book free to turn it over in her hands. Opening the volume, she flipped through it's simple lined yellow pages.

"I got you a present today on my way back from walking Sherry home," the miko told the sleeping young man. "I saw it in a little store and just couldn't come back here without it," she said with a smile as she scooted up higher on the bed. Setting the book on the nightstand, she took the bear and made it kiss Inuyasha's cheek. "It's a fuzzy black teddy bear. It came with a little journal. At night, when I leave, the bear will stay here with you. I'll keep the journal by my bed at home and write in it every night before bed time. I'll write about the adventures I have taking care of you and hanging out with these friends you've made. When, you wake up, you can read it whenever you want. It'll remind you how very much those of us around you care about you. How does that sound?"

Kagome smiled and reached up to tease his bangs with her fingers. Kicking off her shoes, she shifted to sit in bed beside him, while hugging the teddy in her arms.

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Inuyasha felt his spirit awaken from a brief nap taken while Kagome had been busy walking Sherry home. After a moment's pause, he came to realize that it was Kagome's return that had stirred his soul back into it's oddly conscious state. He could smell the delicious aroma of her scent drift through the air the moment she entered the room. His heart leapt to silently rejoice the blessed chance to spend more time in the company of his beloved miko.

Inuyasha felt the girl who was now a woman regard him as she crossed the room. Even though he could not see her, somehow he still knew that she was watching. Each time she looked at him so, he was filled with so many different emotions it made his head spin: joy, sorrow, love, fear, devotion, longing desire. How this woman had always been able to make him so weak yet at the same time so very strong had always been completely beyond his comprehension. Long ago, it had scared him to feel this way. Anymore, it was an addiction. He longed to feel the power of her charming spell over him. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way. Then again, as he thought about it, he knew she did. Else she wouldn't have stayed at his side for so long. Nor would she have resumed once she found him again. That thought made him feel incredibly warm and joyful inside.

Inuyasha's attention returned completely to the miko within his room as he felt her sink to sit at his side. The sound of her soft sweet voice became the only sound he heard as his soul tremblingly basked in her divine glory. To this poor trapped soul, Kagome was indeed a goddess come to save him from his misery. Then again, so was Beth and Sherry. But, Kagome was different. Her radiance emanated at a different frequency of the spectrum from the other two.

"I'm back. Sherry is nice, ne? And smart too," came the miko's words reverberating through the darkness.

`Yes, she is,' Inuyasha's soul answered though he knew she could not hear him. Instead, her attention seemed to divert to something else in the room. He heard the sounds of a plastic bag rustling. Once again, Inuyasha found himself plagued by the overwhelming desire to open his eyes as curiosity peaked within him. Yet, this body he was in did not obey his commands. So, he was left to wait until she gave him more clues on what it was she had.

Deafening silence reigned as Kagome seemed to regard in deep contemplation the object or objects she now held. Seconds seemed to stretch out into minutes and minutes felt like hours to this hanyou's mournfully confined soul. When finally, he thought he could stand it no longer lest he go crazy, the hanyou finally heard her speak again. To this, he allowed himself to relax.

"I got you a present today on my way back from walking Sherry home," she told him.

`Well, duh. Even I could figure that one out. Hurry up and tell me what it is!' Inuyasha thought impatiently.

"I saw it in a little store and just couldn't come back here without it," she added.

`Oh yeah? Really now?' his mind returned sarcastically. He really did love this woman, but sometimes she was just oh so good at trying what little patience he had. As he felt her move up closer to his torso, Inuyasha's foul mood instantly vanished. Replacing it was innocent wonder and that awkward heart pounding feeling he got whenever she got a little too close.

"It's a fuzzy black teddy bear. It came with a little journal."

Inuyasha was almost startled by her sudden answering of his heart spoken demand made just moments earlier. He frowned as he chewed on her words. `A teddy bear? With a journal? What the hell am I suppose to do with those? I'm in a coma, in case you haven't noticed!'

As if sensing his annoyance at such silly gifts, she answered, "At night, when I leave, the bear will stay here with you. I'll keep the journal by my bed at home and write in it every night before bed time."

Inuyasha's soul was shocked into silence by her words. Immediately, he realized the meaning behind her gift. The bear was for security at night or whenever else she couldn't be there by his side. The journal was obviously for her to record her own thoughts during this ordeal. It was a means of handling the extreme raw emotions she felt about this. It was an avenue of release for her. He felt better knowing that she was finding such healthy ways to cope, both through Beth, as well as Sherry, and through this new journal. Inuyasha felt his hear melt into a warm puddle of soul syrup at the thoughts she had behind these gifts she brought. How so very like her to first do something to rub him the wrong way till he snapped then turn around and say or do things to make him feel all better. It was one of the many reasons why he loved her so very much.

"I'll write about the adventures I have taking care of you and hanging out with these friends you've made. When, you wake up, you can read it whenever you want. It'll remind you how very much those of us around you care about you. How does that sound?" the miko asked her semi-conscious companion.

`That.. sounds nice,' Inuyasha's mind answered in one of it's rare softest of moments. Try as he may, even a mighty warrior such as himself couldn't deny there were times when he needed reminding of exactly what was important in life. Everyone needs periodic reminding of which individuals around them truly care, and even sometimes how much they care. In dark times, such as now, it's often easy for one to forget such things. He was glad Kagome thought of that and attempting to help him fix it.

Inuyasha wanted to smile as he felt Kagome's fingers playing through his crop of unruly ebony bangs. He felt her shift to lay next to him. If only he had the ability to wrap her up in his arms, he would be the happiest guy in the world. But, he couldn't. So, he let himself be content with her simply laying next to him. He felt a warm vibe run through him as he listened to her breath morph into that of one who lightly dozed. The hanyou was tempted to follow suit, but forced himself to remain as he was, simply basking in the sensations brought on by the girl who slept at his side.

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A short while later, something caused Kagome to stir into wakefulness. She opened her eyes and picked up her head just in time to see Beth enter the room.

"Kagome, there you are. I had stopped in earlier at the end of my shift, but you'd headed out somewhere for a bit. I'm glad I stopped back by. How are you doing?" Beth said with a smile as she entered. Kagome sat up with a bright smile in return.

"I'm doing fine. I met Sherry this afternoon and walked her home after she was done visiting," Kagome informed the nurse. Beth put on a look of surprise.

"Oh my! I didn't expect her back here, let alone so soon. How is she doing?"

"She's doing okay. She said she felt guilty for not coming by sooner. But I told her how admirable she was for coming back and she felt a little better after that."

"Oh good. I'm glad. I was, honestly, rather worried about her. She's always been such a deeply emotional child. I know it struck her hard when her mother passed away."

"It did, but she seems to be handling it well. I think maybe coming back here to visit `Romeo' may be one of her ways of coping with the loss. I get the feeling he's become an odd sort of confidant to her. Like the Scared Tree on my family's shrine was to me at times."

"Yes, I think you're right on that one. In a strange way, she seems to value Romeo much higher than she does any other friends or companions she has. Then again, children often like to put people like this on pedestals," Beth said as she walked over. Kagome shifted, tucking her feet under her so that Beth could sit on the bed with her. Beth accepted the opening and sat.

"Hai. Souta has done that to him too ever since the two first met," Kagome nodded.

"Yes, I remember you saying something about that this morning," Beth grinned. Then she noticed the bear. "Did Sherry leave that behind?"

"Oh," Kagome said as she looked down at the bear in her arms. "No, I bought it at a little gift shop on the way back. It came with this little journal. I got it to give the bear to Inuyasha and take the journal home with me to write in at night till he wakes up. It might be silly, but I thought maybe he might enjoy it in during rare times when he feels like being soft or needs reminding of how much this small flock of people around him care about him."

"Oh, how sweet!" Beth cooed. "That's not a silly idea at all. I think it's cool!"

"Really?"

"Of course I do," Beth said as she reached out for the bear. Kagome happily passed it over along with the book. Beth swooned as she took the rather large bear into her hands. "Oh my gosh, it's so soft!"

"I know," Kagome giggled.

"My god, girl. You are such a romantic! I have so got to hang out with you more!" Beth grinned as she pictured many an hour spend with this girl watching mushy girl movies with giant tubs of yummy buttery popcorn. Oh, then there were the stories Kagome promised to tell someday about Romeo too. It got Beth feeling warm yet giddy just thinking about it.

"I'd like that," Kagome grinned.

"Hey, maybe we could get together this weekend some time and chum around," Beth schemed. Kagome's face lit up.

"Sure. That sounds like fun!"

"Hrmmm.. We could maybe go shopping at one of the big malls in Nashville then maybe grab a movie or three for a girl's night. I haven't done that in a while."

"Oh! That sounds positively wonderful! I haven't done that in a while either. Not since high school. And even then, life thought it fun to be cruel and make that a rarity," Kagome cheered then frowned as she tried to remember exactly when it was she had last had any fun of that sort.

"Poor girl. Then it's a deal," Beth said cheerfully. "So what else did Sherry have to say?"

"Oh, umm, she told me all kinds of things. She told me about who she was and why she comes. To be truthful, the girl amazes me. She's incredibly smart, compassionate, and responsible for her age," Kagome replied.

"Yes, I agree. She is remarkable. Though, she also tends to try and hide it around people she doesn't trust. Which is just about everyone. So I'm amazed that she opened up so much."

"I've always seemed to have a knack for getting people to do that. Heck, Romeo, here, gave me a lot of practice at it," Kagome said wryly. "Though, there's something else about Sherry that catches my attention. She.. can sense things about Inuyasha that other people here can't. The things she told me sensed about him mixed with her intelligence, kindness, responsibility, and even her weariness in the face of most strangers tells me that she has the potential to follow the footsteps I did some day."

"What do you mean?" Beth said, totally baffled.

"Well, the rosary around Romeo's neck is a good example. She knows that it is not ordinary. She knows that it is special. She says she could feel its power and energy from day one. She can also sense distinct kinds of energy from Romeo. Yet I'm the only one here that knows anything about any of that. That says that whatever she says she fells is genuine," Kagome pointed out.

"Whoa. Okay, so the necklace is suppose to be magic some how?" Beth inquired as she blinked in awe and a bit of uncertainty.

"Umm, yes. In Japan, there is such a woman figure known as a `miko'. Mikos are typically shrine maidens. They are women who possess certain powers to affect the supernatural. Most of them use their powers to protect humans from demons and evil of that nature. Back during the Feudal Age, they were rather abundant as they were quite needed back in those days. But, these days, their ways are dying. There are very few true mikos left. When I was a teenager, I found out, I had such abilities. I've learned how to use a few of them, but I know there is much I have yet to learn," Kagome explained. "Anyway, I think Sherry shows signs of having the same power. Mikos sense what normal people can't. They tend to be cautious around strangers, and they have a natural instinct for helping others."

"Incredible. I thought all of that stuff was Hollywood make-believe," Beth said.

"I did too. That is, till the day I first met Inuyasha," Kagome said as she looked towards the sleeping man with sad eyes. That first sight of him was a scene she would never be able to forget.

"So, this `miko' stuff has something to do with why you're reluctant to tell his story. Isn't it?" Beth hypothesized aloud. Kagome sighed as her shoulders slumped. Had she always been this easy to unlock?

"Yes. It has everything to do with that. Just about every piece of that story is so.. whacked out.. few people could believe even the first day of it, let alone the war he and I fought. So many times, even I had a hard time believing it even when it was happening to me," Kagome answered with a grimace.

"Ah-ha. Okay. Now I understand where you're coming from. Well, sorta," Beth nodded slowly.

"And, it's not exactly like I can't prove what I say. I can. I just don't want to potentially harm him in the process."

"Harm him? Like how?" Beth said with alarm. Kagome's brows knit together. Then an enlightened look crossed her face.

"Wait, maybe there might be another way to prove it. Without using the rosary. If we can track down a bow and a set of arrows when we're out over the weekend, I can show you at your house. And the effect from my archery would be far bigger anyway," Kagome pondered aloud.

"Okay. That sounds like a better idea. Though, I have the feeling I might believe you anyway. The way you talk tells me that you definitely know exactly what you're talking about on the matter, despite how odd it may sound to my ears," Beth said with a look of relief.

"One question. Just how the hell did you get me to crack so easily so soon?" Kagome said with a rather cute fussy face.

"Ummm, I don't know. Maybe we should thank Sherry for that," Beth grinned.

"Sota! I told her that I would tell her the story when I tell you," Kagome informed her.

"Ahhh, okay. That sounds fair. Hrmmm, but can I bribe just a little tiny piece? I was gonna ask if ya wanted to head out for some dinner tonight anyway. I'll pay. Please? Pretty please?" Beth begged. Kagome blinked at the woman with a bit of surprise at her persistence.

"Okay, okay. But you don't have to pay," Kagome relented.

"Yes I do. Now, come on. You can come back and mooch later," Beth giggled as she stood up.

"All right, all right, I'm coming!" Kagome protested as she slid off the bed and picked up her purse. Beth set the teddy bear down next to Inuyasha, then the book on the nightstand.

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Inuyasha wanted to growl when he smelt Beth's scent drift into the room. Beside him, he felt Kagome awaken and shift to see whatever it was that had woke her. Inuyasha's spirit simmered begrudgingly as the two girls dove into another chatter session. He supposed this was the price he paid for the blissful minutes spent before hand.

The helpless hanyou listened to the girls discuss Sherry. His spirit twitched every time the nickname "Romeo" was spoken. They had absolutely no idea how corny and irritating he found that name. Now that they had Kagome saying it, he was ready to scream or gag, whichever ability came first.

He listened to the girls ramble about mushy stuff and work at plans for an outing. The hanyou was glad Kagome was becoming such good friends with Beth. But did he really have to be included in this conversation? On top of that, their giddy shrieks and giggles were starting to seriously get on his nerves. Inuyasha tried to remedy the situation by willing his spirit to sleep some more. Yet all the stimulus coming from his bedside made that impossible for the grumpy male. Inwardly, he groaned in misery.

Then, the conversation started to get a little more informative as Kagome began to crack and explain a little more about what exactly was going on with Sherry, Inuyasha, and herself. Inuyasha was instantly all ears. He knew that Beth was a person that could be trusted with such information. He just hoped that Kagome was careful about where she told this stuff, just in case unwanted ears might desire a listen in.

Inuyasha wanted to scream when he heard Beth bribe Kagome into telling more over dinner somewhere. Not because Kagome would be telling more, but because he wouldn't be able to be there to hear.

`Damn it all! That's so unfair!' he shouted in his mind. He whimpered as he remembered they could never hear him no matter how hard nor loud he shouted.

"Now, come on. You can come back and mooch later," he heard Beth command with a giggle. Within his prison, Inuyasha sulked. Girls could be so mean sometimes.

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Twenty minutes later, the two women sat in a booth at O' Charlie's restaurant. They smiled as the waitress came to take their orders. Both of them wound up ordering the same thing: O' Charlie's famous loaded potato soup. Once the waitress had taken their menus and walked away, Beth took a sip of her Sprite then focused on Kagome.

"Okay, so spill," the woman only a handful of years older than Kagome prodded with a fixed stare and a grin that said there would be trouble if she backed out. Kagome sighed.

"What piece do you want me to tell?"

"Hrmm, how about two things. One being how you met, and two being why that rosary poses such a threat to him," Beth replied, seriousness entered her eyes when she spoke of the second issue.

"Okay. I'll alleviate your fears and answer the second question first. Err.. then again maybe not. To answer that I would have to start from the beginning anyway as it has everything to do with who he use to be," Kagome said with a frustrated expression.

"Who he use to be?" Beth puzzled.

"I said once that there was a time when I didn't believe all of the strange stories my grandfather use to tell about the family shrine and legends of the past. He told so many. About demons and those that fought them. And about artifacts that got caught between them. I didn't believe any of it, till the day I turned fifteen," Kagome began. Beth stared at her, with complete attention.

Momentarily, their discussion was disrupted at the waitress arrived with a basket of yeast rolls. Both girls thanked her and took a piece as she walked away. With the intrusion now gone, Kagome continued.

"I was about ready to go to school when I found my brother hanging about the old well house. We weren't suppose to go near it as it was said to have been the burial place of many demons back during the Feudal Era. Anyhow, he told me that Buyo had gone inside and he was trying to get the cat to come back out. In the end I was the one who went down to fetch the cat. But when I did, the cover on the well exploded away and something reached out to drag me down inside!" Kagome said with a shudder as she recalled how it had all started.

"Something from inside the well grabbed you? How? How could anything get in there if it was covered up?" Beth asked with a wide-eyed expression.

"That's what I was wanting to know at the time. It turned me around and I saw this monster with the upper half of a woman with six arms and the lower body of a giant centipede. She kept telling me I had something important to her. I had no clue what the hell she was talking about. She licked me and I screamed. My hand flashed pink and one of the arms that held onto me was ripped from its socket. The monster screamed and faded away. Then I found myself panting at the bottom of the well," Kagome answered.

"Oh man, you didn't tell me this would be creepy!" Beth exclaimed just above a whisper.

"Sorry. It is. A lot of the story is," Kagome admitted apologetically.

"That's okay. Go on."

"Anyway, as I sat there catching my breath, I thought surely what I'd just been through had been a dream. I must of fallen in somehow and hit my head. But I looked behind me and there was the monster's arm that I had torn off somehow. Okay, so maybe I wasn't dreaming. Her grip on me had hurt well enough to be real," Kagome said. "I called for Souta but realized he wasn't there. So I grabbed onto some vines and climbed out. When I got out of the well, I found myself outside somewhere in the middle of a meadow. The family shrine was nowhere to be found, along with my house! I'm like `Where am I?!'"

"What the.." Beth stammered.

"Exactly! So I started walking looking for anything that might tell me where I was. After a walking a little ways, I found one thing I recognized. It was the thousand year old sacred tree we call Goshinboku. I thought surely since the tree was there, my house must be nearby. So I headed towards it. But when I got there, I found the most peculiar site," the miko told her friend. Beth was glued to the story.

"What I saw was a boy, looking to be about the age of seventeen, pinned to the tree by an arrow through the left side of his chest. He had long silver hair and wore red clothes of a Feudal Era style. He had been there for a good while as a thick vine had grown up to strangely encircle him, holding him even further captive. And yet, he seemed as though he had only fallen into a peaceful sleep as he hung there," Kagome closed her eyes and she once again pictured that scene as vividly as though she had only just seen it. Beth gasped.

"But, wait a minute. You said he had silver hair," the nurse pointed out.

"Yes. He did. He also had something else I found incredibly strange. He had a pair of white fuzzy ears on the top of his head. They looked like perky triangular dog ears, like you would see on a husky."

"Dog ears?!" Beth repeated incredulously, though remembering to keep her voice down so as not to attract attention.

"Yes, dog ears," Kagome nodded. "Most of the rest of the story I'll wait to tell later when Sherry is around. But, I found out that the place I was in was actually the land that the Higurashi Shrine now stands on. Only, I had been whisked by the well to five hundred years in the past. I was in Fuedal Japan. And the boy that I found pinned to Goshinboku was a dog hanyou named Inuyasha."

"Hanyou?"

"Yes. A hanyou is a person that is half demon and half human. Inuyasha was a boy who's father had been a legendary demon in western Japan, and who's mother had been a human regional princess. Though, his father died when he was born, and his mother died when he was very young, so that was always a sore subject for him."

"Okay, now I'm confused. You speak of a half demon boy from five hundred years ago. Romeo is a human boy from the present who's parents still exist. I've talked to them myself."

"True, many things in my story will end up overlapping things as they are now. I believe Inuyasha and Romeo are the same person, somehow. No, I don't just believe, I'm certain. The rosary proves it. As to why he is a human boy named Yue with living parents now, I am just as confused on that part as you are. It seems as if, in the end, he was reincarnated. But, whatever powers Inuyasha once possessed seem to be starting to emerge from Yue," Kagome reasoned.

"Okay. So what about this rosary that keeps coming up? What makes it so special? How does it prove anything?"

"Well, when Inuyasha was freed from the seal that bound him to Goshinboku, he was more than a little bit rowdy. He was angry about having been sealed and down right dangerous. He even tried to kill me at one point. That's when another miko named Kaede, who was the one to teach me, stepped in and placed a subjugation rosary around the destructive hanyou's neck. She told me to say one word of subjugation to finish the spell. Ironically, because of Inuyasha's ears, I found myself calling out `osuwari'. In Japanese, osuwari is a word that person uses when they tell a dog to sit. The moment I said that word, bam! The rosary glowed and drug him down to plant his face into the surface on which he stood," Kagome explained. Beth blinked then busted up giggling.

"Sit? Oh my, that's hilarious! So you just say sit and the rosary makes him face vault?"

"Well, osuwari. That's why I've been reluctant to use that to prove what I say. I know it would work. I just don't want to risk harming Yue in any way."

"Good idea. I understand what you mean by that now," Beth nodded. "But how does that prove that Yue is Inuyasha?"

"Well, the rosary was sealed to Inuyasha's soul. The only person who can remove the rosary from his neck is me, the one who commands it. So wherever Inuyasha wound up after we were separated, the rosary was forced to follow."

"But why did it only appear a couple of years ago?"

"Because my adventures with Inuyasha only ended a couple of years ago. That is, in my time. In his time, it ended five hundred years ago. Therefore, he's had plenty of time to be reincarnated, if that's indeed what happened to him. Which, it seems as though that is the case," Kagome answered.

"Kagome dear, you're quite right. This does all seem very complicated. But, I think I follow you. So, apparently Yue resembles Inuyasha physically?"

"Yes. There was a certain time each month when Inuyasha would lose his demon power and become human for a night because he was hanyou. Yue looks identical to the man I saw on those nights," Kagome replied. Beth's eyes widened.

"Oh my," she said as a look of sympathy appeared on her face at the thought of just exactly how that must make Kagome feel. "No wonder this has hit you so hard. Good god," Beth commented as she bit her lip.

"It's okay. I'm doing better with it now. Having someone to talk to about it helps," Kagome smiled.

"I'm glad. And I'm still here. Somehow, I believe you. I'll stick with you," Beth told her.

"Thanks," Kagome returned. "And too, he and I have been through so many close calls and hard times before. I know that if I just stick to it and stay here with him, eventually, he'll overcome this just as he overcame every other obstacle that has ever stood in his way," she amended. She laughed softly, "He's always been like that. Nothing has ever been able to hold him back forever. Nothing. He has always found a way to accomplish his goals, one way or another. It may sometimes take him awhile, but he still wins in the end."

"Oooh. One of the brassy hero types, hmm?" Beth grinned.

"You got it," Kagome nodded. It was at that point that their food arrived. The two women oohed and ahhed over their meals. After the waitress had left, Kagome tilted her head to one side in thought. "You know, speaking of likenesses…"

"Hmm?" Beth looked up, answering as politely as she could while her mouth was full of chow.

"You remind me of someone else I knew back during those adventures in the Fuedal Era," Kagome said with a pondering expression. Beth hurriedly swallowed her mouthful of food.

"I do? Who?" she asked curiously.

"Well, there was another girl that came to travel with Inuyasha and I, as well as a few others. Her name was Sango. She came from a village of demon exterminators. She had a vendetta of her own against the same person who had ultimately caused Inuyasha to get sealed. So she traveled with us to help us fight. She and I got to be really good friends during those days. What's funnier still, she was an animal person too. She had a hellcat named Kirara as a companion," Kagome explained with a smile as she thought back on her old friend. Beth blinked again.

"Oh boy. Now you're weirding me out," Beth laughed.

"It's probably just coincidental. Though, there's someone else that I keep running into at the U. C. over at Tech that reminds me of someone else that had traveled with us. And it is entirely possible for me to start running into modern versions of people I once knew," Kagome said. Then she shook her head. "Bah, it's silly. And this is giving me a headache trying to figure so much out. Beth blinked a third time and giggled. Kagome looked up at her feeling a sense of déjà vu as she pictured Sango doing that very same thing years ago.

"It could be. I didn't say that I'm against the idea. I just think it's a little weird. Then again, everything else you've said has been a little weird too, hasn't it?" the woman laughed.

"I guess you could say that," Kagome blushed.

"So who is this other person you said you met?"

"Oh, he's a janitor at the Grill. He reminds me of a monk named Miroku that traveled in our group as well," Kagome answered.

"Oh."

"He has the same hair and eye color. Not to mention the same attitude."

"Wow."

"Miroku was a funny sort of guy. You could always depend on him when trouble was around. But, in off times, he tended to be more than a bit lecherous," Kagome smirked.

"A lecherous monk?" Beth made an odd face before spooning in some more soup.

"Yes, but he wasn't all that bad of a guy. Like I said, he was dependable. He was also very strong, as well as compassionate. He always knew just what to say to make you feel better."

"I see."

"He just had a tiny problem with a hand that liked to wander. He also had a bad habit of asking every pretty girl he met to bear his children," Kagome giggled. Beth choked a bit.

"Are you serious?"

"Yep," Kagome giggled again. "Though, once Sango entered the group he tended to concentrate most of his efforts on her. Which always lead to her slapping or beating the crap out of him with her giant boomerang."

"Oh my. That's funny! And, to be honest, it sounds like something I would do. I was known for having a mean right hook in school," Beth laughed. Kagome looked at her squarely and couldn't help but grin.

"Maybe that's why I trust you so easily," she told her.

"Likewise," Beth grinned back. At the moment, Kagome couldn't have felt more gleeful. She was certain she had gained back a treasured friend she had oh so sorely missed. Tonight, if only just a little, her heart felt lighter and less painful. Perhaps, the bits she had gained recently were starting to heal it. Only time could tell.

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Penguine: Ahhhhh FINALLY! This chapter was so hard to write. That's why it's taken me a bloody WEEK to post. Much apologies on that. The chapter started out really slow and quite boring for me to write. Though, once I added the part about the gift shop, everything started slowly but surely falling into place. Oh, my gods, it turned out so long though! In the end, when I was inserting the parts where Inuyasha spoke his mind, I kept getting lost in all that I had already written. o.o°

However, everything turned out good. Yes, I was a little mean to Yash there in one place. But life's like that. It's never fair when you want it to be. So, put up with it or bite me. -lol-

I think I got a lot accomplished with this installment. I was finally able to give away the secret of who Beth is. So many people have asked me questions on that. -lol- Now you have your answer. To those who guessed it, kudos to ya. -wink- Kag and Beth also got to arrange their little get-together. To be truthful, I'm anxious to write that chapter since I've been planning what happens on that ever since I first started posting this thing. @_@ Kagome also got to clear up some of Beth's confusion on the bizarre relationship between Romeo and this mysterious girl friend of his. Inuyasha also finally got to express his opinion on that nickname. -giggles- Hey, he wouldn't be Inuyasha if he didn't get a little pissy at least half a dozen times a day. -giggles more- But that's part of why we love him, right? -grins-

Some of you have been asking questions on the intended length of this story. Up until now, I haven't had very good answers for you simply because I didn't know that myself. However, during the course of writing this chapter, and pondering more on the many events to come, I think I've finally come to a decision on when, at least story-wise, the ending will be. Those of you who love long stories will be most pleased as I intend to keep this thing going for quite a while. In fact, the day our beloved Inuyasha finally wakes up will only be the halfway point in this story. After that, I will have a whole new series of events occurring as he heals from his ordeal and gets his life put back together. So yeah, expect a mini-novel out of this thing, to say the least. I just hope I can keep delivering for you guys as often as I have been.

Anywho, I'll quite yapping now before my author's note becomes a book of its own. o.o°

Hrrmm… getting down to the review replies, I'm gonna point out that I'm posting this story both on Fanfiction.net and Mediaminer.org. It's getting irritating to remove all the review replies just so I can post it on MM.org as well. So… I'm gonna quit and just start replying to reviews from both sites in the same place. I'll just make a note of which site's reviews I'm replying to at which time. That said, ONTO THE REVIEWS!! Weeeeeee!!

Review Replies

-Fanfiction.net-

Kathleen: Yeah, I kinda like the new twist on the cast in this one too. Using the same people doing the same things over and over again can get rather boring at times. -nods- I'm trying to keep this story as interesting as possible. Have faith, I have more tricks up my sleeves. -grins-

Kibo: Yeah, there are a lot of parallels. Sorry about that. I don't mean to make things any more confusing than they have to be. I just tend to be good and complicating things too much. -lol- Apologies on that. :: Yes, I will try my best to keep updating. Sometimes, I have to take a little rest in order to find new material to fill in the gaps between the stuff I already have planned. But, then again we all need breaks from time to time. Despite that, I will still try to keep updating as much as I can. :)

Articuno: I gave a couple of other people a hint on who Sherry is. I'll give you the same one since I don't want to give away too much too soon. Wondering what'll happen in the next surprise is always part of the fun. -g- Sherry's past incarnation is someone that was featured a bit later in the series. I don't think Cartoon Network has reached those episodes yet, though. Sadly. Anywho, she's someone that even then means a great deal to Inuyasha. I have always loved her character and feel as though she is greatly under-appreciated by fans. I have yet to see anyone else write anything with her in it. So, I felt the need to include her in this story. To my delightful surprise, she seems to have taken the opening I gave her and ran with it. -giggles- Makes me adore her all that much more. I love those characters that start off as temporary cast and steal the show enough to land a permanent supporting role. -huge grin- :: Yes, it will be a while yet before Yasha-kun wakes up. But not to worry. The wait will be well worth it. I plan to insert lots of fun in the meantime. Besides, stories like this just aren't very good unless they're drawn out over many chapters. :)

Pyro6: Yer welcome. -grins- Oooh. And thank you. -giggles and gives ya a hug-

Moonmage: I'll try. :)

Jojodacrow: I like long stories too. I actually get a little sad when they end because I have so much fun reading them. :: Yes, I like Inuyasha's spotlights too. I have a lot of fun telling things from his perspective. -giggles- He can be so goofy yet so sentimental too. Kinda like a chocolate bar. With nuts. Hard on the outside and oh so yummy gooey on the inside. -lmao- Okay okay, mind out of the gutter, PenPen. -smacks self-

XStylus: Yes, I agree with you there. -sighs- Someone needs to teach many of the fic writers out there how to write properly. :: Oooh, pretty words. Thank you. I certainly try. I feel inadequate, otherwise. :: As I've told others, I will try to keep posting as often as I can. Sometimes life and my muse make that difficult. But, I do promise many more chapters ahead. -nods-

Suki1: Ahh, yes. I love sweetness. Can't you tell? -giggles- ((At this point some corny announcer person pops up, "We hereby warn you it is highly dangerous to give this author chocolate or anything else containing sugar.")) -glares at announcer- Shut up! I'm perfectly harmless! Why… the other day, I smacked a fly with my hand and the damn thing flew away!! -coughs- All better now. :)

SilverShadow14540: Hey, he's partially awake! Isn't that enough for now? As for the rest, you're gonna have to wait patiently like everyone else. I have a lot of story to tell here. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. The story isn't just about Inuyasha. It's about the people who surround him as well. Just like in the anime, some goals take time to achieve. ;) Patience young grasshopper.

KittySand Katie: Ahh yes. Stories are better when there's a balance of good and bad, sweet and sad. Hey, that rhymed. -shocked- :: Yes, I completely adore Sherry. You will be seeing a lot more of her in the future. :) She absolutely refuses to step aside. -giggles- :: Miroku's already in the story. Remember Mark the janitor that talked to Kagome at the Grill when she stopped for lunch? True, he didn't pull too much of his dirty tricks. But not to worry. He will eventually. He is Miroku, after all. He just can't help himself. -giggles-

PisxiePam: I'm glad you like it and I will try my very best. I promise I won't give up on the story. Though, I can't promise that I won't be visited by Writer's Block. It happened in the writing of this chapter. Several times. But, I will fight it as best I can, like I did in the case of this chapter. And as I said before, I will try my best to keep updating at least once a week.

Miko-in-training: I have a serious bone to pick with you! I do not appreciate spamming. It will not get me to update any faster and will only serve to piss me off. So, by all means, STOP IT!! Had this been a first time occurance, I would have been nice and deleted the posts without saying anything. However, you have done this twice! The posts you made the second have also been deleted. All of them. And I will continue to do so should you do it again. Save yourself the embarrassment. Either post once or not at all. This is the only time I will say anything on this matter.

StarshineWeirdo: Amusing name. -giggles- :: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :: Oooh.. listening to that and reading this.. yeah. I have to agree. That would definitely make it sadder. But, it will get better, don't worry. I'm not a tragedy writer. Everything will turn out all right in the end. :) :: -lol- Yeah, ff.net has had it's quirks lately. Oh well. We make do. -shrugs then blinks as you beat the thing up- Oooh.. Go, You! -applauds- :: Yeah, he's chanting the same thing about now. -lol- Kay sera, sera, as they say.

LibrianAngel: Ehh, I'm tired of stories that keep the bickering Kikyou and Kagome ball bouncing. It's gotten kind of old. I can understand both their points of view. Both have their reasons for acting as they. Same goes for Inuyasha. But, you know.. life goes on. In this fic, that's just exactly what is happening. What happened in the past, though often recalled, is the past. It can't be changed. This story is all about what happens in the future, pun not intended. That's why I've invited new characters (Though some play new versions of old people.), and new scenarios to go with them. Kikyou will be mentioned later on. I might even find a way for her to come back just once way late in the tale. But only for the sake of giving to Inuyasha a few final words. Nothing bad. Only good.

PyrodeScorpio2: I'm glad you like, and I'm glad you think so. :: On the part of repetition of Inuyasha's lines, I'm very conscious of that. The times when he does repeat are completely intended. As you saw in this chapter, yes, I've made Beth out to be Sango. I kind of doubt that Kaede will be in this story. She might be if I find a use for her later. But so far, I haven't found a place for her. Maybe I could make her out to be a doctor or something. That would suit her best, don't you think? Hrmm.. Anywho.. :: Yes, Mark aka Miroku will show his true colors later on. He wouldn't be Miroku if he didn't. -giggles-

Obsessivekawaiigurl: Nope. Sherry is neither Rin nor Kaede. She seems a bit like Rin, but she's not. She's someone else entirely. :: Yes, eventually he will. Kagome will find a way to see to that, I'm sure. :) :: Probably. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't. :) :: Yes, Shippo and Sesshomaru will enter the story, but neither of them will show up till after `Romeo' wakes up. -giggles, having fun lightly abusing Yash-kun with that name- :: I love Yash-kun's spotlights too. Like I told someone else, they're so much fun to write! I love his attitudes. -giggles- Gods, if he had any more mood swings, he'd need a sex change! -lmao-

SailorChibi: Nope, Sherry isn't Rin. Besides, Rin would be ideally following Sesshomaru around, not Inuyasha. :: Yes, the episodes I speak of are past 50. Hopefully, by the time you do see the episodes she's from, you'll agree with me on how cool she is. :) :: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I try to put in as much depth and detail as I can. That's actually something I've been working on getting better at as a writer. -nods- :: Like I told someone else, I find fics involving disputes with Kikyou beating the subject to mutilated death. As such, I also find them boring because it's always the same old stuff. This story isn't necessarily about what is old, but rather what is new. It's about how the story goes on in Kagome's time. It's about how the lives of our heros adapt to the changes. Thus, there's new characters and new situations. As I also told someone else, I might write a piece for Kikyou near the end. I would do so out of respect for the small part of Inuyasha's heart that she will always own no matter what. But whatever I do write, if I write something with her at all, it won't be cookie-cutter. It'll be something different and it'll be something good, not bad.

TennyoKameko: -lol- I'm glad you think so. :) :: No worries. I will most certainly keep going.

Wrenna: I'm glad you like it. :: You know, I've gotten quite a few comments on the emotional factor of this thing. I'm flattered and flabbergasted that I could move so many readers like that. Reviews like this make me feel really good. It's for you guys that I'm pushing to keep writing this story. Else it would have died on the vine a long time ago.

Gero: I'm not quite sure who all I will bring back, to be quite honest with you. But I do have several more in store later on.

Sakura8707: Hi there. I'm glad you finally got a chance to review. I do love hearing from the readers out there. It's what keeps me writing this. :) I'm glad you are enjoying it and I promise much more fun in the future.

Strawberrie Bunny: I'm updating as often as I can.

Blackrosebunny451: -lol- A story isn't a story without complications.

Woven Bamboo Pattern: Into the sugar again, I see. -giggles- :: Well, he's partially awake. He's just.. a little stuck. -lol-

Sofia Loja: I will try. :)

Ryuushoku: Yep, I like Yash-kun's pov too. I enjoy writing those. He makes them so much fun. -giggles- :: Looks like you got your wish in this last chapter. :)

-Mediaminer.org-

Penguine: Okay, I wanna apologize up front for not replying to you folks. That's really bad of me. I promise not to do it anymore. I intend to answer every one of you this time. In the future, I will keep answering those to keep reviewing. :)

Tsukiyo Kitsune Tears: Yes, Yue is a reincarnation. But Inuyasha is there too. Unlike with Kagome and Kikyou, Yue and Inuyasha are one in the same person. Just from different eras. And yes, he will be getting his hanyou powers back eventually. He already has his memories. Freedom comes next. Then recovery. :: Yes, Yash will remember Kagome. :)

Oashinoyume: I'm glad you're liking it. :) I try to update as often as possible.

Emerald dragon hanyou: Yeah, the story is sad. But it's got some happy too. And it will have a lot more happy to come. As far as when Yash-kun will be waking, that will be a ways off yet. I want to let Kagome work at forging some new friendships first. :) Everything in good time.

Aitu: Like I've told others, it will be a while yet before Romeo Rip-van-winkle truly wakes up. But, his soul will have a lot of speaking time in the meantime. It adds some fun to the story as well as answering a few questions that arise concerning him. :: Yes, Beth the nurse will be in this story a whole heck of a lot. :) :: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I will indeed to try to get more up soon. :) :: Wow, more review. Yummy! -lol- :: Well, Inuyasha's as happy as he can be given that his soul is currently awake but stuck as it is. :: Yes, it'll definitely be a happy time when he wakes. I, myself can hardly wait to get to that point. :: Yer welcome on the chapter thing. That kinda resulted from my forgetting to post them on Mediaminer at the same time I posted them at ff.net. -sheepish grin- Yes, I'm rather good at being a baka. :P

Kim: I'm glad you like the story. :: Unfortunately, Yash-kun won't wake till quite a few chapters down the road. There is so much story for me to tell between now and then. :: Yeah, I like the Inuyasha povs too. They're a blast to write. :) :: Yes, I absolutely LOVE horses. Unfortunately, I don't have one of my own. I wish I did. Someday, I intend to. But I have gotten involved with them as often as I could in the past. And I use to love reading The Saddle Club book series by Bonnie Bryant when I was a kid. So that's kinda where I picked a lot of it up from. :)

Angela: Should I call you Angela or Shugo? O.o? :: Oh wow! Thank you. I'm honored that you feel that way. :) I truly am. :: Ehh, I am my worst critic. -lol- But I certainly try to do my best. :) And it's people like you that keep me going. -very big smile-