InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wake Me Up Inside ❯ Chapter 15

Wake Me Up Inside

Chapter 15

Beta-Read by: B00kperson

Author's Note: This chapter contains a spoiler for a couple of scenes from the 2nd Inuyasha movie: Castle Beyond the Looking Glass. While the spoiler doesn't involve anything major movie plot related, it does involve a memorable comedy scene and an object derived from it. I did my best to only give information that was crucial for events in this chapter.

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Kagome, Beth, and Sherry all filed out of the hospice. After transferring Sherry's stuff to Beth's truck, they all got in. The moment the doors were shut and her seatbelt fastened, Sherry started talking.

"I had a dream. I saw him, Kagome. I met Inuyasha," the ten year old blurted up front. Two gasps let her know she instantly had the attention of the two women. "I dreamt I was standing in a world of nothing but darkness and I felt someone touch me, then call out my name. That voice told me to come find him. I did. I found Inuyasha in the world that holds him captive. I had to close my eyes and concentrate on the magic feelings I sense to see him, but then I did. I saw him glowing blue as he stood in front of me as a hanyou."

"Blue? That's the color of his spirit," Kagome told her. Sherry nodded.

"Though it felt real, it was his spirit I talked to," she said. "Anyway, I got a chance to ask some questions as well as collect some messages from him for people. Since our time here is short, I'll tell the higher priority stuff."

"Okay," Beth nodded and started the truck.

"First of all, about the meeting tomorrow, he wants Kagome to tell Mark and the guys about Inuyasha. He says he's been wanting to tell the Stooges about Inuyasha since he regained awareness when the rosary first appeared around Yue's neck."

"But will they believe me?"

"If you need to, use the rosary," Sherry shrugged. "There has to be a way to use it without hurting him. Anyway, Beth, he said to tell the weekend guy to keep his hands off the radio."

"That, strange as it may seem, sounds like something he'd say," Kagome laughed.

"Will do," Beth nodded as she found a break in traffic large enough to pull out onto the street.

"He also says that payback's coming for the camera," Sherry recited with a giggle.

"Payback, huh? I'm interested to see that," Beth smirked.

"I don't know. Mark might be laughing more than you," Kagome grinned.

"Dammit," Beth muttered.

"And he thanks you for taking care of Kagome," the child told her. Beth smiled while Kagome gasped. Sherry then turned to Kagome, "Kagome, he said to tell you that he likes the bear and the name you picked for it."

"He really liked it?" Kagome second guessed. Sherry nodded affirmative.

"He wants you to be happy, not sad for what's going on. He said he'd rather be sat a billion times than see you sad. He said everything will be all right. He said yes, he knows you're here. Yes, he remembers. And yes, he loves you," Sherry said as Beth turned a corner. Kagome gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. Sherry hugged her. "Though he wouldn't tell me why, he said to tell you thanks for what you did Thursday night. He said you're welcome to do it again. Then he said he also liked what you did Wednesday night and that you can do that again too. I caught him blushing on that one," she giggled. Kagome felt herself turn beat red hearing those words.

"I take it by the Thursday night thing, he was referring to Kagome staying the night," Beth grinned. "However, the Wednesday night part is an intriguing mystery to me."

"I.. umm.. kissed him goodnight," Kagome confessed.

"Ohhhh! So that's why he was blushing!" Sherry exclaimed before bursting into giggles.

"What about the questions? What did he answer?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, the coma is a seal. He agrees that I got miko powers. He says he doesn't know where any of the others are, but he's sure they're alive somewhere. He also wonders if his parents know but he says the person to ask would be his dad," Sherry replied.

"But he didn't tell you how he got that way?"

"Ehh.. nope. I forgot to ask and we got busy talking about other things."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I had some questions of my own to ask and he had some things he wanted to say to me too. Actually that's what kinda lead to me asking if he had messages for everyone else."

"Let me guess. Whatever you told Mark is something that Romeo mentioned, isn't it?" Beth asked wryly.

"Yup!" Sherry giggled. "Don't worry. It's nothing bad. I promise."

"If you say so," Beth shrugged. A moment later, she pulled into Sherry's driveway.

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"So what did Sherry say to you anyway?" Keito grinned as he stood next to Mark while they waited for the ladies to get back.

"Oh that! She just told me to take Beth to Gondola's for dinner," Mark shrugged lightly.

"Oooh, yeah! She loves that place. I don't much blame her. That place makes some awesome Italian," Keito nodded.

"I agree," Mark grinned.

"How the hell did you land her? Did you really blackmail her?"

"Well, I didn't blackmail her. I made a mutual deal with her. She just thinks I blackmailed her when the truth is, I would have fulfilled her request regardless. I'm not a bad guy. I just use every good chance I can get to land a date with such a remarkable woman," Mark told him smugly.

"Dude, you so rock!" Keito laughed.

"Watch him get himself killed," Dave said dryly.

"Ahh, but if it's by her, it'll be a delightful pain. She really is beautiful when she's mad," Mark smiled dreamily.

"Yep, you're a dead man," Dave nodded.

"Hey, Keito? Dave? Do you guys remember Yue ever having a pen pal from Japan or maybe a female friend over there he never told us about?" Zach butted in with a perplexed face.

"No, but I know where that thought's headed, and I agree. Kagome does look like that chick in the locket," Keito nodded.

"Huh?" Mark blinked.

"I was thinking the same thing," Dave nodded. He turned to look at Mark. "This Kagome friend of yours, who is she?"

"I don't really know all that much myself. I've seen her in the Grill a lot but only managed to talk to her earlier this week. She stopped by after her school trip here, I guess, because she was looking pretty depressed. I mean, even more so than normal. Up until this week, I've noticed that something was always weighing on her mind. It was as if she was trying to forget something that meant a lot to her. I think that's why she moved here, to try and make new memories to cover up old ones that had become too painful for her," Mark answered honestly while leaving out what he knew about the relationship. These guys could form their own opinions.

"There's something going on here. I just know it," Keito mused as he walked over to the nightstand and pulled out the drawer. From it, he withdrew a locket on a chain that had appeared at the same time as the rosary. He shut the drawer and sat down on the bed next to Yue's ribs. "Who is this girl to you, Yue? She obviously means something to you. Though she seems to try to deny it, you mean something to her too. The question is.. what?"

`She'll be telling you soon, Keito. I promise,' came the unheard reply.

"I'm lost," Mark pouted. Keito got up and handed the locket to Mark. Mark carefully opened the gold heart-shaped pendant to find two pictures inside. The one on the left was of a high school girl with black hair and Kagome's face minus a few years. The one on the right was a guy dressed in red with silver hair, amber eyes, and dog ears. Comparing the guy in the picture to the guy in the bed, Mark decided they were the same. Yue was just probably dressed up to cosplay something. "I see your-" he started to say then froze, eyes going wide.

"What?" Keito prodded, hungry for answers.

"This guy in the picture, I've seen him before. No, not just him. Both of these two. The reason I came here today was because I had a strange dream last night and wanted a second opinion. I didn't know if my mind had thought up something weird after visiting last night, or if it was something I should pay attention to," Mark explained.

`Well I'll be damned! They're figuring it out on their own! Well.. part of it at least,' Inuyasha thought.

"A dream? This is ridiculous," Dave said, rolling his eyes.

`Okay, so some of them are figuring it out,' the hanyou corrected himself with a groan.

"Dave, shut up. Mark, what was the dream about?" Keito voiced.

"Though I'm also reserved, I concur with Keito about finding out more, Dave," Zach agreed. Dave flipped him off.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you what you want to know. And anyway, wouldn't it be better to just ask Kagome? Though, I would be careful in asking. It certainly seems to be an extremely delicate situation. And if this dream of mine has any truth to it at all, the subject might be something that isn't scientifically explainable. But, it does seem in your best interest to ask her, since your friend is currently unable to speak for himself," Mark told them.

"So the blackmail was about information related to Yue," Dave said with a cold glare.

"I've told you what I could. The rest I dare not speak. And it's not a date that holds me to that but respect for Ms. Higurashi. Like I said, if you want information about her, ask her. Not me," Mark said calmly.

"You may be a pervert, but you also seem to be smart and responsible when need be. I think you'll do well with Beth," Zach commended. "And on this matter, you're quite right."

"I agree. And just so ya know, Dave's an ass to everyone. Especially in the beginning. He even pulled it on Yue back in junior high and got his ass wailed on, whooped, and so totally owned. So, don't take it personally. He just likes fucking with people," Keito shrugged, then got smacked rather hard upside the head by Dave.

"So noted," Mark nodded watching the strange display of comradery. Or perhaps, it wasn't so strange after all. He turned to stare at the man in the bed, almost certain there was a most interesting story revolving around him.

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Sherry sat staring blankly at her plate of spaghetti. Beth and Kagome had left fifteen minutes ago to head back to the hospice and head their separate ways with the guys for dinner. Sherry's uncle had told her there was left over spaghetti in the fridge from last night that she could have, then promptly headed to the den to drink beer and watch another college football game. After the years she'd spent living with him, by this time, Sherry didn't expect much more from the man. He just wasn't the same after her mother got sick. Then when she died, it was like he loathed even looking at her anymore. He didn't abuse her and he didn't totally neglect her, but Tom Hargis didn't go out of his way to do anything for her either.

Sighing, Sherry pushed thoughts of her uncle away. In there place, she conjured up memories of her meeting with Inuyasha earlier in that dark dream world that had become a prison to him. As she worked at making the food disappear from her plate and the water disappear from her glass, Sherry thought about what life must be like for him.

`I thought my life was bad, but that's just awful,' the child thought to herself as she glanced towards the door to the den where she heard her uncle cheering at the television set. `To live in a world of darkness with nothing but old and fading memories to keep you company for all that time. And when friends do come to see you, to be able to hear them but them not hear you…"

Sherry frowned as she turned to look out the window showing the sky growing dark with dusk. Rising from the table, she began the task of cleaning up her mess. `Sometimes I really wish I weren't still so little,' she thought as she then set to washing the dishes piled in the sink by hand.

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"Okay guys, Kagome rides up front," Keito declared.

"How about I drive?" Zach volunteered, knowing where things were heading.

"Yeah, let Einstein drive," Dave agreed.

"Okay. Then Zach drives, and Dave you ride up front since you tend to be Mr. Anti-Social," Keito responded while Kagome blinked in confusion at the three guys.

"Do you three always have this much indecision about who rides where?" the miko asked.

"No. Half the time those two decide it with a brawl, which leaves Dave usually getting his way," Zach answered.

"I don't care. Let's just get going, unless you want it to be fucking Christmas by the time we get there," Dave spat irritably.

"Oh, so nice of you to cooperate, Dave!" Keito grinned patting Dave's shoulder.

"Get your damn hands off of me weirdo! I haven't forgotten about this morning!" Dave squealed, slapping Keito's hand with a shudder.

"Oh jeez, that was just wrong!" Zach blanched. Keito chortled.

"No, that was funny as hell. I didn't actually kiss him. I just acted like I was gonna in order to get you guys to scram for chow. Considering it worked, I still say it was damn good!" Keito replied as he howled in laughter. Kagome tried her best to hide a giggle but failed.

"Sherry and Beth are right. You three are definitely crazy," she told them.

"You think this is bad, you should have seen us in grade school when Yue was just as much at fault as the three of us," Zach responded with a nod before swiping the keys from Keito and getting into the driver's seat. He unlocked the rest of the doors and Dave climbed in the front passenger seat.

"Yeah, we were a real mess," Keito laughed softly as he held the right back door open for Kagome.

"Thanks. And I bet," Kagome nodded and got in. She caught the bittersweet expression in his eyes as he shut the door. Once he got in on the other side and everyone was buckled it, Zach started the car.

"So what are you going to school for, Kagome?" Zach asked, trying to move the conversation along.

"Well, I have journalism down as my major, but since meeting Beth and Yue, I'm thinking about looking into nursing. I don't know," Kagome replied as she looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

"Well, Beth could certainly help you out if you want to change your major to that. She's good at her job. I'm sure she can teach you a lot," Zack said as he pulled out into traffic.

"Yes, I know. I've worked with her and helped her out as much as I could since Wednesday."

"How come? Most people stare, say `Aww, that's too bad," and walk away from Yue. What make you keep coming back with so much fervor?"

"Beth told me you were into psychology," Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, it's kinda nice for Dave and me to have our own shrink for free," Keito chuckled.

"Who the hell says I need a shrink?" Dave asked incredulously.

"I do. Cause sometimes, you really do need help, Dave," Keito shot back.

"Hey! You were the asshole trying to kiss me! Not to mention you steal pants from female nurse's lockers!" Dave yelled back in defense.

"I already explained myself for the mock attempted kissing bit. You know damn well I'm as straight as they come! As for the pants bit, as I recall, you were the one who told me to do it!" Keito pointed out.

"Dave, you know that hole?" Zach smirked.

` "Shut the fuck up and drive, Einstein," Dave retorted.

"Damn, Dave!" Keito cackled.

"You shut up too, Yamada. And as I recall, Kagome has a question to answer," Dave said, redirecting the conversation back on course. Kagome grinned and slowly shook her head.

"To answer Zach's question, I came back because I felt sorry for Yue how so few people come to visit him for his sake rather than their own. I know some people can't stand pity. And Yue's probably one of those people, but in a time like this, is that really so wrong?"

"No, I don't think it's wrong," Zach replied. "I think it's wonderful that another soul out there gives a damn. But I'm also sensing there's more to the story than that. The way you look at him, there's a story in your eyes that neither of us can quite figure out. Mark knows some of it but refused to say anything due to promising Beth to keep what he knows about your connection to Yue confidential. That's apparently the grounds on which he won a date with Beth, though he told us he would have obeyed Beth's request regardless. I must say, he seems to be quite the honorable friend aside from his case of perversion," the man continued, jumping right to the point of the conversation while handling it with care. Kagome gasped at the suspicion he revealed but smiled when he mentioned his take on Mark.

"Yes, he is. Though I've known Mark for only a short time, like Beth, I sense he's someone who can be trusted when trust is needed most. He may try to flirt with other women while dating Beth, but I have a feeling that he's already growing too attached to her to really mean anything when he flirts with anyone else but her," Kagome said, trying to divert the conversation to Mark rather than her.

"Well, considering how hard it is for guys to land a date with Beth, I know this one from experience, he certainly seems to have a good chance at her," Keito admitted.

"What about you, Kagome? What's your connection to Yue?" Dave called back from the seat in front of her.

"Dave, I know what you're pulling and you better knock it off. If there is a connection, then picking on her is one way to seriously piss Yue off. If there isn't a connection, then she's being the rare nice girl like Sherry, and picking on her will seriously piss me off. Either way, your train is headed for disaster so quit it!" Keito barked sternly. Dave turned to blink at him, not use to hearing such a tone from the usually comical Japanese man. He grunted.

"Sorry," the tall blond muttered. Kagome bit her lip and looked down at her hands with a stressed look upon her face.

"I.. don't quite know how to answer your question yet. Though, I was suppose to talk about that tomorrow in front of Mark since he too knows very little of what's going on with all of this. But I've still been stuck on a way to prove what I have to say," she said softly.

"Prove?" Dave repeated in a slightly puzzled voice.

"Because my answer to your question is a very strange and complex one that.. will be extremely hard to believe. Even Beth didn't entirely believe till I did a little demonstration out at her farm this morning," she replied.

"Well, I think, there might be proof without you having to do anything," Keito told her. She blinked at him.

"How?"

"Zach would have still picked up clues, but I doubt Dave and I would have connected the dots between you and Yue if it weren't for something in Yue's possession. Something that could be proof of whatever you have to say," Keito replied. "Let me redirect the question here. What does a guy in red with silver hair and pointy dog ears mean to you?" he asked. Kagome gasped as her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Oh my god, how.. how did you know about him?" she asked a bit hysterically.

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours," Keito proposed.

"A-all right. His.. his name is Inuyasha. He.."

"Inuyasha? As in.. Dog Demon?" Keito blinked.

"Dog demon? What the hell?" Dave piped from the front seat.

"Good question," Zach agreed.

"Y-yes. He's a hanyou. His father was a legendary great dog demon that roamed western Japan back before and during the Feudal Era. His mother was a human regional princess," Kagome answered.

"So.. then.. how does he relate to you? That was four or five hundred years ago," Keito puzzled.

"Five hundred. The part of the story I'm connected to took place five hundred years ago. My family cares for a shrine in Tokyo. On the grounds there is an old well that they called the Bone Eaters Well back in the Feudal Era because people would throw the bones of demons into it and they would disappear. Anyway, the well once served as a portal allowing me to pass through to a time five hundred years in the past where I met Inuyasha. As for.. how I'm connected to him.. I helped him quest for an artifact and destroy a powerful villain named Naraku. Naraku had caused Inuyasha and many others a great deal of pain. I had to do what I could to help him," Kagome said, point blank.

"Whoa! That's getting deep! But if you're a shrine maiden… if you're a miko, then how they hell did you wind up helping a demon?" Keito asked.

"I answered your question. What is it that you have?" Kagome challenged.

"Okay, fair enough," Keito nodded.

"This is insane! Keito, demons don't-"

"Dave, shut up. You've already seen the woman's proof. There's obviously far more to the story, so before you dis it, shut up and listen for a while!" Keito snapped.

"Damn! It isn't often Keito gets fired up like that. I have to agree with Keito. Let's just listen for a while and gather all the information before we try to judge her," Zach said.

"Fine. Whatever!" Dave said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"What I have, is this," Keito said as he pulled the locket out of one of the pockets in his cargo pants then handed it to her. Kagome gasped yet again. Tears refilled her eyes and she trembled as she reached out to take the locket.

"I can't believe I forgot about this," she whispered as she opened it and looked at the two faces inside.

"It's got a story too, doesn't it? We thought you'd been a friend of Yue's and he'd been cosplaying something, but it seems the story's far more interesting than that," Keito mused.

"Inuyasha was able to travel through the well to my time. He did it quite often. Which, Beth, Sherry, and I figure is the underlying reason for Yue's coma. It's a seal to keep Yue from meeting his past self."

"What?!" Dave blurted.

"That.. would make sense," Zach nodded.

"Ditto," Keito agreed.

"Anyway, he was walking home from school one day and there were kids coming. He wasn't wearing a hat to cover his ears so I shoved him into a photo booth that we were passing. My little brother fed it money to try and keep people from staring. These where some of the resulting photos. So I put them in a locket and gave them to him so that he would have a way to remember our friendship," Kagome explained.

"Then that's why it appeared along with the prayer beads. Which is another question. Since you're the miko, those also came from you, right? They're in the picture of him. So they're some kind of collar? Cause he's a.. err part demon?" Keito asked.

"You're pretty smart on this topic, Keito," Kagome praised.

"My parents held a mutual interest in old stories from that time. So I've heard a lot of them, myself," Keito nodded.

"I see. Actually, another miko named Kaede put the rosary on him. She just gave the subduction spell part to me. Yes, the beads were to handle Inuyasha when he got a little too wild. But they've also saved his life. I wanted to remove them when I parted ways with him the last time I saw him, but he wouldn't let me. I'm glad he didn't."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Our friend Yue, in his last life, was a half demon guy named Inuyasha. Somehow you wound up in the past through a magic well on your family's shrine and met him. Then you went on some quest for an artifact to destroy some evil dude. During that time, you say you could come back home and Inuyasha came too. Then you parted from him, and I'm guessing memories of that drove you to come here to go to school. Yet when you did, you found this guy Yue in a coma during a school trip. Does that sound right?" Zach recapped.

"Most of it, yes. But the part about the artifact, it's called the Shikon no tama. It means `Jewel of Four Souls'. Both Inuyasha and Naraku wanted it. There was a point when I.. uhmm.. accidentally shattered the jewel in an attempt to destroy a demon crow that had eaten it. Anyway, when it shattered, pieces flew all over the country. Kaede said the only way to get all the pieces back was for Inuyasha and I to work together," Kagome corrected.

"Ohhh! Okay. So why was the Shikon no tama so important?" Keito asked.

"Because it could grant it's user great power. So everyone wanted it. Even a single shard of it was enough to give even a human enough power to create chaos."

"What would the rosary do when you used it?" Dave spoke up.

"It makes him kiss the ground when I say the right word," Kagome said wryly.

"Which is?"

"Osuwari," Kagome answered. She was about to explain, but Keito bust into a fit of laughter so loud that's all that could be heard.

"Osuwari? That's hilarious! That's a fuck'n riot!" the Japanese man howled. Dave cleared his throat.

"And `osuwari' means what?" the older blond asked rather irked.

"It's telling a dog to sit," Keito answered with still more laughter. Dave blinked and Zach chuckled.

"Well, at the time when the rosary was placed on him, he was attacking me and trying to get the jewel. I ran and tripped and the little glass ball rolled onto a rope bridge. He was too fast and moved to catch it. I had to say something quick or he would have gotten the jewel. At that time, he was angry at events that happened between him and my past life and would have used it for something wrong. So, I saw his ears twitch and said the first thing that came to mind," Kagome explained with a shrug.

"Makes sense. Still hilarious though!" Keito responded.

"You said he was mad at your past life. I'm sure I'm going to regret asking, but what the hell was that about?"

"Five hundred years before I was born, there lived a powerful miko named Kikyou. She was given the jewel to purify it. Inuyasha came looking for the jewel because he wanted to be full demon. But, she managed to ward him off time and time again. Some how, he wound up falling in love with her. He told her why he wanted the jewel and she took pity on him. Half demons weren't liked by anyone. They were considered dirty. Kikyou felt pity for him and told him to use it to became full human. Then she could be an ordinary woman and love him, and he would at least be able to fit in somewhere.

"But there was another who sought the jewel for evil purposes. There was a dying bandit named Onigumo that Kikyou had been caring for in a cave. Kaede was Kikyou's little sister. One day Onigumo told her that he wished for the jewel to be tainted to bring out it's evil powers," Kagome told them.

"She has the Precious… and he want it!" Keito hissed, mimicking the voice of the gollum Smeagol from Lord of the Rings.

"Keito!" Zach lightly scolded but found himself laughing anyway.

"Sorry. That one was too good to pass up. So what happened next?" Keito chuckled with a grin. Kagome spared a laugh as well but continued on.

"On the day that Kikyou and Inuyasha were to meet so that Inuyasha could use to jewel to become human, Onigumo sacrificed himself to the many weak demons living around him. Apparently his hate driven desire was so strong that when the demons combined with him, a hanyou named Naraku was born. Naraku had one single desire. He wished to taint the jewel with as much bad blood and destruction as possible so that he could later use it to become a great demon. He said the jewel shined brightest when defiled.

"So, that day, when Kikyou was traveling to meet with Inuyasha, Naraku shifted his form to look like Inuyasha. Then he attacked her, giving her a mortal wound and making her think that Inuyasha had betrayed her. He took the jewel while she lay bleeding and returned it to the shrine. Then, he changed his form to look like Kikyou and went to Inuyasha. Disguised as Kikyou, he shot arrows at Inuyasha, making Inuyasha think Kikyou had betrayed him. So Inuyasha ran to the shrine and stole the jewel. As he was running away with it, Kikyou managed to get there and fire a single arrow at him. It struck him in the left lung and pinned him to the shrine's sacred tree named Goshinboku. Inuyasha slipped into a lifeless state under the seal of the arrow. Minutes later, Kikyou also died. With her last words, she told Kaede to burn the jewel with her body so that Kikyou could take it with her wherever she went when she died," Kagome told them.

"Ouch! Damn, that's nasty!" Keito commented with a grimace.

"That was only the first of many awful deeds Naraku committed. Mark and Beth's past lives were also dealt tragedies by him. Mark was a Buddhist monk name Miroku, who's grandfather fought Naraku and was cursed with a black hole in the palm of his right hand. That curse was passed down from father to son till Miroku got it. He used it to eventually help Inuyasha and I fight Naraku and other dangers. Beth, she was from a village of demon hunters. Her name was Sango. Naraku some how managed to possess her little brother, Kohaku, and make him kill all the others while they were handling a fake job at a Lord's castle. I know Beth and Mark are these two people because Miroku and Sango were best friends to me. Mark is obvious. He's the same kind hearted, intelligent pervert he was before. Sango is still someone who cares deeply for others, and she treats Mark exactly the same way Sango treated Miroku," Kagome explained further.

"Oh wow!" Keito blurted.

"Yeah, Beth can kick some serious ass if you manage to piss her off," Dave nodded.

"And Beth does have a younger brother," Zach added.

"So what happened after Inuyasha was sealed?" Keito asked.

"I was getting ready to go to school on my fifteenth birthday when I caught by little brother going into the little house that hides the well," Kagome said as she began her tale again.

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"So where are we going, Mr. Don Juan?" Beth asked sourly as they walked outside to Mark's car.

"You'll see soon, Buttercup," he replied as he lead her over to the passenger door of a black 70s model Volkswagen Bug. He unlocked the door and held it open for her. Secretly, he thanked God, and Keito, for reminding him to clean it up inside while he'd waited for Beth and Kagome to get back.

"Hey, I said you could take me to dinner. Not give me nicknames," Beth shot back as she got into the rather rickety VW that had duct tape slapped over a few places. Inside, she found the interior was done in black with black and purple fuzzy cow print seat covers. A similar cover adorned the steering wheel.

"Aww, you're no fun," Mark pouted before shutting the door. He walked around to the other side, unlocked the door, since Beth sat with her arms crossed ignoring the fact that his door was still locked, and got in.

"So are you a cowboy or a purple people eater?" Beth asked wryly as she fiddled with the seatbelt. "Wow, this thing actually works right! Impressive," she added with a tone of melodramatic sarcasm when she found the seatbelt functioning properly.

"Can I be both?" Mark grinned. Then he nodded, "Seatbelts were the first thing to get fixed when I bought this thing. I'm a firm believer that going anywhere without them is signing one's own death warrant."

"You're not stupid, I'll give you that," Beth shrugged. "But you're still a pervert."

"I'll admit to both of those. Fair enough," Mark confessed with ease as he held down the clutch and started the car. The bug coughed before starting up with a rumble that made it sound like a go-kart with a fancy chasse.

"When was the last time you took this animal to the vet?" Beth frowned.

"This morning, actually. I work as an intern over at Dr. Magee's," he answered as he pulled out of the parking space and headed for the outlet to the street. Beth blinked.

"I was talking about the car."

"Well then the word is mechanic. Mechanics fix cars. But, I can do that too."

"So you're going to school to be a vet?"

"Yep. You know, I actually know a farmer who has a dog named Bingo. Saw the two of them just last month," Mark said as he found a break and pulled out into traffic.

"Cute."

"Since I'm sure you're referring to the dog, yes. He's a Labrador/Collie mix. Donald says Bingo's a master at herding cattle. And the dog didn't get the name from the song, either. Apparently, Don had just brought him home as a puppy. Don was playing bingo with his daughter Chelsea one night, and Chels dropped a plastic bingo chip. Well the puppy attacked the chip and made it slide across the hardwood floor. So the puppy thought it was alive and started barking and growling at it. So Chels dubbed him Bingo."

"Cute story," Beth chuckled.

"So.. who is this Yue guy exactly? Speaking of which, those three friends of his are already onto Kagome," Mark said, suddenly getting serious. Beth gasped, but before she could speak, he spoke up again, "I refused to tell them anything I knew on her connection to Yue, but they know there's a story between the two. Apparently, there's a locket that Yue has with a picture of Kagome from grade school and a guy with Yue's face, silver hair, red clothes, the beaded necklace, and dog ears. The guys recognized Kagome as the girl from the locket and figured she was a secret friend from Japan. They picked up on the fact that I knew something due to our little game in the hall. But I told them the best and only way to learn anything was to ask Kagome herself. They plan on doing that sometime tonight, but agreed to handle the subject carefully. Though Dave is a little rough, I believe the other two will indeed be careful with her. I gather if Dave tries to pull anything, the other two will handle him."

"O-okay. Wow. That spices things up a notch," Beth sputtered. "I know of the locket you speak of. But I hadn't connected it to Kagome. Actually, I kinda forgot about it."

"Who.. who is the guy with the silver hair?" Mark asked with a contemplative expression.

"Well, Kagome is suppose to tell you and the other three that story tomorrow. But I suppose I can tell you some of what she told me. The guy with the silver hair was Yue's past life. He was a guy named Inuyasha who was half dog demon. There's a special well on the grounds of the shrine Kagome's family cares for. Apparently, at one time, the well had the ability to carry Kagome through time to five hundred years in the past where Inuyasha lived," Beth answered. Mark blinked but stayed silent for a moment. Beth found herself wondering what was going through that strange mind of his.

"By any chance, was there a monk involved in their story somewhere? He carried a shakujo, and there was something wrong with his right hand," Mark said in a slightly distant tone that made Beth turn to look at him oddly.

"Yes. How did you know about that?" she inquired as a bizarre chill coursed through her.

"Because I had a strange dream about the two of them last night. I saw the world through the eyes of the monk and the man I was talking to was the guy in the locket. I can't remember what we were talking about. But, I gather that the monk and the other guy were good friends."

"Oh my god!" Beth whispered in awe. "Kagome's right. She figured that you were the reincarnation of the monk. His name was Miroku, and, yes, he was a very close friend to both Inuyasha and Kagome."

"That would explain why she warmed up to me so easily," Mark nodded.

"Sherry seems to possess some unusual abilities like Kagome does. Sherry has picked up on the magic in that necklace around Yue's neck and even in Yue himself. So, she's been joining me in learning Kagome's story and helping her figure out what's going on," Beth started, trying to lead in to Sherry's dream.

"I see. She does seem to be an extremely bright young girl," Mark smiled.

"Anyway, when she was napping today, she said she had an unusual dream too. She said that she was able to meet up with Inuyasha's spirit. She said that she got to talk to him to some degree of length. She said that Inuyasha's spirit is sealed in a dream realm inside of Yue. Yue and Inuyasha apparently are one in the same, sharing the same mind. Sherry said that Inuyasha has also pegged you as Miroku's reincarnation."

"Did she now?" Mark suddenly grinned with a gleam in his eye. Beth was about to comment, but her attention was distracted as they pulled into a parking lot. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Gondola's!"

"I take it you like?" he smirked as he parked the car and killed the engine and lights.

"Like? I love this place! I -" Beth stalled then gave him a narrow-eyed look. "This is what Sherry told you, isn't it?"

"It would seem the both of us owe this Inuyasha guy a thank you," he replied before getting out and locking his door. Beth grumbled as she got out on her side and locked the door.

--------------------------------------------

Penguine: Hello again, folks. Sorry about the wait. I had a long and vicious debate over where to end the chapter. Since I had one person comment that chapters have gotten a little long, I decided to end it where is here and pick up the events to follow in the next chapter.

I want to take a moment to thank those of you who have left me your reviews. Your voices really do mean a lot to me. Though, sometimes I don't seem like it, I really do listen to each and every one of you. I take into consideration every comment and suggestion I get. Even the ones telling me to hurry and wake Yue/Inuyasha up. Though I'm still in the dark of when, chapter-wise, that will be, I have cut down on how long it will take in the story's timeline as best I could without sacrificing essential events in the story. I'm every bit as anxious as everyone else is for him to wake up.

Along with critiques and suggestions for improvement, I've also gotten many words of support and joy. I would like to say that above all, it is these encouraging words from all of you that has been the main source of fuel for this story. If it weren't for you folks giving me your thoughts, this story would not have come as far as it has. It is for each and every one of you reviewers that I dedicate myself to continuing this story till it's completion. Thank you very very much.

Ffnet Review Replies

Allin656: Not everyone is happy with how long I'm taking to wake him up. But I'm glad to see there are just as many people willing to wait. :) Thanks for your support. I'll stick to my guns and continue writing my story how I want to tell it. If people have a problem with it, oh well. We can't please everyone.

Daddie's Pixie: Off the bat, I will say that Yue's dad is most definitely not Sesshomaru. That would make the mighty dog demon clan a family of rednecks according to Jeff Foxworthy's definition. X_X Now come on. Can we really picture Sessy driving a multicolor primer painted pickup that's held together with duct-tape and spit? Then, there'd be a pocket bible (also held together with duct tape) in the glove box. The glove box is tied shut with a piece of twine string recycled from a hay bale. And in the back is a rusted shot gun and a bottle of whiskey hidden under a moth-eatten flannel blanket. And his all-mighty castle would be a trailer in the middle of the woods STILL sitting on its set of wheels incase the cops find him and his crop of weed and he has to flee suddenly in the dead of the night. O.o' Yeah… I think not. I think.. Sessy would get creative in murdering me if I did that. -shudder- :: Shippo's a little while in coming yet. I think. I dunno. We'll see. Things haven't always gone according to plan in this story.

Gittelbug: To be honest with you, I was really nervous on how well the scene between Sherry and Yash-kun would go over. But, like the Stooges, it's passed with flying colors. I'm happy that so many enjoyed it. :) There is, needless to say, much chaos coming from Mark and Beth. -cackles-

Ixhcen: I thank you profusely for your patience. It is very much appreciated.

Miroku-has-darkness: Okay, that post didn't exactly make sense. O.o I will certainly focus more on the story than the time it takes to complete it. Thank you for your support. It seems there are just as many people willing to wait and watch the story of the other characters unfold as there are people anxious for Yue to wake up. I'm glad of that. As for the part about Sherry, huh? I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say there. Yes, Sherry is Shiori. But, like Kagome, she's not entirely the same as her past incarnation. Does that answer your question?

Twilight Tear (Shaan): I was thinking about changing my pseudonym at one point do to a desire to step away from the Penguine nick but I decided to leave it as is cause too many people already know me by this nick. -shrug- :: Thanks for the support. I've had quite a few people tell me the same thing. I'm not worried anymore about that. I can't exactly promise that the rest of the story will go according to plan since the characters seem to have arrested 90% control over the thing, but I'll do my best. :)

Hikari Tsuki Chi: Hrmmm.. I wonder. Heeheehee

Animemistress419: Yeah, I agree. Yash and Sherry are definitely cute together.

Hosaki: I love Sherry too. She's just too cute for words.

Ariane Juarez: Welcome. :)

Nysoku: -watches all the scratching- Are you sure those are typo imps and not fleas? O.o? -looks to Yash-kun- You better not have brought any little friends with you besides Myouga-ji -glares at Yash-kun, then blinks as Yash-kun steals the last of the ramen- HEY DOG BOY!! THAT'S MINE!!! -blink- Correction. Was mine. O.o'

Lord of the Pit: Tessaiga (as I have recently been corrected by a Japanese native) will naturally be wherever the Firerat haori will be.

Sweetpup: I'm doing the best I can without totally burning myself out. I've been working on this story for a long time already. So I've been relaxing a little lately and taking things a bit slower to try and find new material to connect my plot dots with.

HRInuyashaFan16: Well, since I'm hoping some day to write and publish my own novels, I'm using this story to strengthen my skills as a writer. That means I try to write full length chapters instead of short ones. Now consider the fact that it takes me two hours to write 1000 words and I tend to shoot for 5000 a chapter, that takes 10 hours at the very least. Then you have to count the time that it takes me to find solutions to problems I come across. And then there's the fact that this is one of my hobbies. Aside from this, I am doing almost all of the chores in my household that includes my senior citizen parents, two dogs, and myself. I am still currently on the hunt for some kind of job. And come January, I will be starting a new term in college. Would you rather me speed up and give you something with little or no effort that comes across sounding like it was done by a grade school student? Or would you rather me take the time to do the job right and give you something of aspiring professional quality and length? So many people complain about fan fiction because a majority of the fanfiction that's out there was written with lacking grasp of basic literary rules. As a fanfiction fan, I want to try and show people what can be done with fanfiction when grammer, spelling, and logic are adhered to. Younger folks read stories like this and learn from what has been done. So if I try and do it right, then maybe I can teach someone else how to write something well.

Articuno: Thanks for the encouragement. :) It really helps. I will certainly keep giving the story my best.

Kawaii-ish: I'm not sure when that will be anymore. I was hoping things would start to speed up, but even telling the events of the weekend are taking a whole heck of a lot longer than anticipated. There are so many characters involved now with so many different things happening. As I told someone else, it seems as though the characters of the story have arrested 90% control over its direction and rate of flow. I have points of planned events along the way and no clue how the characters are going to connect them. They tell it like they wanna tell it. Especially Keito and Yash-kun.

WackyWisher18: Yeah, it would be cool if Kagome got to talk to him like that. I think he tried to arrange that already at one point, but it didn't work. He'll probably try again. I really have no clue what will happen on that one. -lol- Mark and Beth, keep your eyes on them. It's gonna get wild. -cackles-

Pan24: Yeah, it is kinda nice that Yash-kun finally got to talk to someone who could actually hear him. I think it's even cooler that that person turned out to be little Sherry. :)

Iyoku-chan: Characters like that are the fun ones though. :) They make writing the story a blast because of the fact that you the writer haven't a damn clue what they're gonna do next. XD Oh yes, yer right. Yash-kun is definitely adorable when he's grumpy. He just ain't himself if he doesn't bitch and gripe about something. XD

Eternalhappiness: Oh yeah. Ya gotta know things are gonna get interesting between Mark and Beth here soon. XD

Defafaeth Mechqua: :)

Trivia: O.o Umm.. okay. I'm.. glad yer like'n it. O.o'

Sailor X: Yeah, I liked that scene too. I'm a huge fan of well placed mushiness. -giggles- :: Yeah, I know. And F. Scott Fitzgerald took 20 years, if I'm not mistaken, to write The Great Gadsby. A lot of people have spoken up in support of me taking my time to wake Yash up in the this latest round of reviews. So I'm no longer worried about that. Thank you so much for your support on that. :)

Horselvr517: I would cut down on the language if I could, but if I did that then the Stooges would get very out of character. I'm a writer that writes it like it is. So, in order to preserve the personalities of the characters in the story, I gotta let them talk how they would normally talk. That's why I rated the thing PG-13 in the first place. Apologies if this offends you.

Sango131: I will try to find time for it. Not promising anything though.

Sesshy-lover-4-ever: I honestly don't know when he'll wake anymore. I know what I want to happen in between now and then, but I have no clue how long it will take me to tell it all. As for where Shippo is, you'll have to wait and see. Not even I am entirely sure of how or when he'll make his entrance.

Inuyashababy99: I gave Kagome's hair a whole lot of thought before I decided to go with changing it. I came down to the thought that… Kagome left Japan to leave behind bad memories that faced her everywhere she went. She wanted to try and change her life in a way that could allow her to heal and live on. It would seem to me that a makeover would go hand in hand with changing how she lived her life. She left her past self, Kikyou, behind in the past. She made the transition from bumbling school girl to sophiscated young woman going through college. Therefore, she changed her hair to something that spoke of who she was becoming. The red slightly curly hair speaks of someone passionate, vibrant, and radiant. Someone with warmth and steadfast determination. It says to the world, "If you're thinking about challenging me then you'd better bring some heavy artillery. I'm not a weak little girl anymore." The curly part might can go. I can poll the other readers on it and see what they think. But the red part, I'm gonna keep for the reasons I gave. I'm a sucker for symbolism.

Takaneka: To be honest with you, I'm ready for him to wake too. But the story won't allow it because I haven't gotten the chance to pull some of the other plot twists I have planned yet. So, we're all forced to wait till the right time comes along. Sowwie. -pout-

DarklessVasion: Heehee, yeah. Just wait till Mark gets a load of a PMS'n Beth. Oh the horror! Oh the FUN! -evil cackles- :: Yep. For someone who started out with no friends at all, Yash-kun certainly has one big circle of them now. -grin- :: I can tell you there will be other cute Yash and Sherry moments in the future. -huge bubbly grin-

Wolf ears+tails: 1) Yay! -huge grin- 2) Thank you. I'm honored that you think so. 3) That'll come probably the next day. :) Kagome didn't want to bring that issue up while the guys didn't know the reason behind why she bought it. 4) Thanks. Luck is certainly a valuable commodity. -sweatdrop-

JBG: I try to write chapters that are novel length for personal sharpening of writing skills as I hope to some day write and publish my own original stories. Plus I want to give the readers a little more in each posting in hopes of quenching as much thirst as possible. Apologies.

Rin elwin: I'm work'n on that second part. :)

Rasika: Most definitely will do. I may be taking a while, but I'm commited to this story till it's completion. :)

Animejunkie221: O.o -blink- Oro? A shrine? About.. me? O.O! -faints in shock- :: I thank you very much for your kind words. I'm honored that you think so highly of the story. :) It's people like you that really keep this story going.

Ryuu no Taiyo: Wow! I think, you've just taken the record for longest review in the history of this story. XD Awesomeness!! :: I'm a fan of fluff and stories where Mr. Badass winds up having to rely on the woman in order to get back on his feet. -grins all cozy-like at the mere thought- :: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I am too. It's certainly not gone anywhere I expected it to. :) :: I agree with you. There are so many writers out there that don't exactly care about the quality of the story they produce. They just type up a bunch of words telling some silly fantasy and leave it at that. It irritates me to no end because its people like that that give fanfiction such a bad reputation. :( I'm kinda hoping that what I'm doing here will teach at least one or two of those writers a few tricks they need to write better stories. It's a long shot, but one can only put forth the effort and hope for the best. -shrug- :: The new characters really kind of wrote themselves. In the beginning, I saw one boy suffering from abuse, one boy that had an attitude problem, and one boy that followed but also danced to his own drum. And then there was the little girl who's mom was looking for a friend while her mother was dying. Keito was the only one who really had a name before he appeared in the story. But, despite that, they really have become like good friends to me even though they only exist within the mind's eye. I love `em to death. -huge grin- :: Yeah, I'm gonna have some real fun with Mark. -giggles- He's just too easy. :: I wanted to place the story in an environment that I'm personally familiar with. Having grown in the town I'm writing about, I felt it was an ideal spot with the beautiful scenery and the University there that brings in so many international students. Especially folks from Asia with the computer science and electronics areas. Then again, I also am missing that place quite a bit now that I live elsewhere. It kinda lets me go back there in spirit and revisit places that mean so very much to me. :)

InuyashaFan1: I'm doing the best I can. I do have a life and other hobbies to exercise besides this one, you know.

M.M.: I'm glad you're enjoying it. :) More fun coming as soon as I can get it written.

Mediaminer Review Replies

Draechaeli: Heehee! Yeah, Yash-kun just ain't himself unless he's bitching about one thing or another. He's so cute when he's grumpy and/or pouty. XD -blink- Oh jeez. You know, that just gave me another wicked idea of something to pull after he wakes up. Or.. I could pull it before. -scratches head while pondering plausibility then snickers- Oh dearie. -cackles- :: As for the shirt, I have no damn clue where that little gag's gonna go. I swear, the characters are running this story 90% of the time. XD I'm just about as much of an audience member as you and the rest of the readers are.

Caliko: Ewwww, yes. I can feel your pain on the school stress crap. X_X That stuff gets me like that too. Even when I take half loads. XP

Bk: I can understand why so many people start writing stories then just disappear. They run into writer's blocks that they can't get around then wind up waiting so long for the answers to come that they lose interest in the story all together. I've been there done that. Actually, I've never been as dedicated to a story as I am with this one. Then again, the shockingly massive support I've gotten from readers really has been the thing that has kept me going. I run into problems quite a lot here in the past few months. But the kind words from you and the other reviewers fan the flames so much that I can't help but keep trying till I succeed. I have to say that even though this story isn't even halfway finished, I've already learned a whole heck of a lot. It's strengthening me as a writer and teaching me that, yeah, there may be a day when I can write something worth publishing. :) I'm sure there will be plenty more points where I get stuck. Those battles are inevitable. But I will most certainly keep with it till this story is complete. :)

Missthix2006: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Despite all the problems I've faced with it, I must admit I enjoy telling it just as much. Making people happy like this really does make all the battles every bit worth fighting. :)

HanyouBabe: -lmao- You've been into the chocolate, haven't you? -giggles- I was nervous about the Yash-kun and Sherry scene. But, it really does seem to have done wonders for the story. I will be sure to include more similar events in the future. :) :: As to when he'll wake, I'm sitting here wondering that one myself. I'm starting to learn how very little control over the course of this story I really have. -lol- That's like… 10%? Maybe? If even that. The characters are taking their own sweet time doing whatever the heck they please. -lol-

Lil sis4556: Umm… Say'n it just once works just fine. Repeating it over and over again only leads to spamming which irritates the heck out of me. I will continue to update the story when I can. It takes me about four days to write a chapter when I don't encounter problems. And it takes me another two days to individually answer each and every review I get between postings. It often takes longer when life gets in the way. I take care of a house of two dogs, two aging parents, and myself. I handle most of the chores, and still hunt for a job to try and help support the household since finances are extremely tight right now. So if I take longer than usual, I apologise. I do the best I can.

Kim: Ooh! Yes, that helps a lot. Thank you. :) Say, while I'm asking these kinds of questions… Can you think of any kind of minor medical issues that the horses might could get into? I'm trying to think up reasons why Beth might call on Mark's professional skills as a vet in training.

Raina1: :) I'm glad you like the story so much. I've told so many others, the characters really have told a lot of the story on their own. Their personalities have developed with very little tinkering from myself. Then again, they've been getting a little sneaky with that, telling me only what I need to know from moment to moment. Especially the Stooges. Those guys are so spontaneous it makes my head spin. I never know what the hell they're gonna pull next. XD Keito's exceptionally good at pulling things at the spur of a moment. Then again, I wasn't quite expecting Zach to smack him so hard he fell off the bed either. -giggles-

Fanfic fanaticim: Mind if I cut your handle a bit short? Apologies. :: Well Sherry's conversation in the car got answered with this chapter, and part of the Mark and Beth date got answered as well. The rest of that will come in the next chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to move things along enough to get the story on over to Sunday. -swirly eyed sweatdrop- The characters in this story are so good at stalling things. It really boggles my mind how much control of the story they've secured. -lol-

Enorema: I'm glad you like the story. :) I will try to keep posting as often as I can.