The girl's appearance was an absolute shock to everyone's system. Her long, raven-black hair flapped like silk even in the most gentle of breezes. Soft mahogany-yellow eyes carried a hint of smugness in them. Two fluffy, white dog ears stood erect amidst her dark hair.
"Are you… a dog demon?" Kagome uttered.
"Partially." was the simple reply.
"You know something…" Shippo scratched his head. "She kinda looks like Inu Yasha."
"Say that again, fox," Inu Yasha bopped Shippo to the ground. "and you'll feel what it's like to get-"
"Osuwari." the girl said plainly.
*WHAM!!*
Before Inu Yasha could utter another word, he found himself slammed to the ground by the rosary's power. Everyone's jaws dropped at the sight. Even Shippo, who had been covering his head in anticipation of a beating, stared at Inu Yasha curiously.
"How did-" Sango began.
"-you do that?" Miroku finished for her.
The girl just giggled.
"But I thought that only Kagome could make Inu Yasha do that." Shippo cocked his head to one side.
"Kuso!!!" Inu Yasha cursed and struggled to get up. "You little brat! I'll kill you for that!"
"You can't kill…" the girl smirked, revealing the small fangs in her mouth. "… what you can't CATCH!"
The girl leapt away, leaving the others far behind her. She raced for the well house, glanced back with a smile, and hopped in.
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome knelt down beside the agitated dog demon. "Are you ok?"
"Feh!" Inu Yasha spat, sat up, and brushed himself off. "When I find that little wench, she's gonna wish she never knew the word 'Osuwari!"
"Don't you think it's weird how that girl said it and you fell, but when we say, you don't? said Shippo.
"He's right, Inu Yasha." Kagome added. "Until now, I was the only one able to control you like that!"
"This is most strange indeed." Miroku spoke gravely. "To gain that capability must require strong magic. From what I understand of prayer bead spells, they can only be activated by the caster or the one appointed by the caster. I've never heard Kaede-sama mention anyone but Kagome being able to command Inu Yasha's rosary."
"Kaede-sama would probably be able to explain what's going on." said Sango. "Now that we know what that girl looks like and that she's on the other side of the well now, we can go back to Kaede-sama and see what she thinks of the new 'Osuwari' thing."
The group was about to head for the well when a familiar throat cleared itself loudly. They turned around to see Grandpa Higurashi standing there, looking very upset.
"Grandpa?" Kagome blinked.
"WHO MADE THIS MESS?!!" the old man demanded.
Everyone gulped and turned to one another in hopes of coming up with a half-decent excuse. There was none to be found.
"Jii-chan," Kagome smiled sheepishly. "It was an accident! Really! We were chasing after that thing and-"
"I don't care what happened!" Grandpa scolded. "You made the mess, and now you're going to clean it all up!"
"Feh!" spat Inu Yasha. "Old man, we don't have time to be doing that right now!"
"Either you clean up this mess," Grandpa crossed his arms calmly. "Or you'll not be permitted to pass through the well again!"
"Oh yeah?" Inu Yasha grinned. "And who's going to stop me?"
"Osuwari." said Kagome.
*WHAM*
"Alright… alright…" the dog demon grumbled. "We'll clean the place up!"
******************************************
After an hour of teaching her medieval friends how to use the modern day equipment she provided them with, Kagome and the others got to cleaning and fixing up the shrine grounds. Inu Yasha repaired the well house while Miroku pulled and swept up the burnt grass nearby. Shippo built a fire to burn the damaged debris that Sango was piling up beside him. Kagome took care of whatever garbage could not be burned in the pile.
It didn't take them very long to get the Higurashi Shrine repaired and back to the way it had been. Grandpa Higurashi looked carefully over the repairs, then granted them permission to return to the Sengoku Jidai.
"We should be careful climbing out of the well on the other side." warned Miroku. "That young lady on the other side of the well may be lying in wait for us."
"If that little brat tries anything," Inu Yasha cracked his knuckles. "She's as good as sushi!"
With that, they hopped into the Bone-Eater's Well and traveled over to the other world.
Cautiously, Inu Yasha poked his ears and nose over the rim of the well, straining to sense anything out of the ordinary. Detecting nothing, he climbed out and waited for the others to do the same.
Soon enough, they had all gathered into Kaede's hut and were discussing what they had found.
"She had ears like Inu Yasha!" Shippo tugged on his own pointed ears to emphasize his point.
"And she was definitely of both human and youkai lineage." Sango added.
"A hanyou? Like Inu Yasha?" Kaede eyed the group carefully.
"Well," Kagome spoke up. "We asked her if she was a dog demon, and she said partially. As to whether the girl was a hanyou or not we're not sure."
"This is all very disturbing." Kaede scratched her chin. "And what was that thing Shippo was saying about Inu Yasha's rosary?"
"The girl said 'Osuwari' and Inu Yasha sat as if Kagome had said it." Miroku explained.
"What!?" the old woman rose to her feet immediately.
"Miroku's right." added Sango. "She said 'Osuwari' and Inu Yasha fell down."
"Those beads were enchanted only to obey on Kagome's command!" Kaede slowly sat herself back down. "There is only one way that another person could've been able to invoke the spell, and judging by what I know of Kagome, such a person does not exist yet!"
"What?" Kagome blinked. "I don't understand, Kaede-bachan. What would this girl's ability to command the rosary have to do with me?"
"The only other person who could ever be capable of such," Kaede spoke gravely. "Would be a child of your blood!"
Everyone gasped and stared at Kagome.
"Y-You mean, " Kagome stuttered. "I-if I had a kid, he or she could affect the rosary too?"
"Yes." Kaede nodded.
"But that's impossible!" Kagome panicked. "I don't have any kids! I'm not even married!"
"But we all saw that girl 'Osuwari' Inu Yasha!" said Shippo. "If she's not Kagome's daughter, then who is she?"
"Hmm…" Miroku sat deep in thought. "I have an idea… though I must say it's rather farfetched."
"Go on." said Kaede.
"As we all know, Kagome is from the future of this world." the houshi began. "She was born in what we know is the future. If such time travel is possible for Kagome, who is to say that her eventual descendants will not have the same ability?"
"You mean, time travel?" Sango chipped in.
"Yes." Miroku answered. "I have reason to believe that Kagome's child has done what Kagome has since before our journey began."
"But doesn't the Bone-Eater's Well only connect this world with Kagome's?" Kaede mentioned.
"That is true…" Miroku continued to concentrate. "However, with all the magnificent inventions in Kagome's time, it would not surprise me if there was even an invention for traveling through time!"
"Not yet, even in my time!" Kagome laughed nervously. The concept of her having a child had never occurred to her, although the idea certainly wasn't impossible. But in light of the current conversation, one question continued to plague her.
"Ok," she began slowly, blushing. "Let's say that this kid really is mine from the very distant future. If I'm the mother… then who is… the father?"
Except for Kagome, everyone's gaze fell accusingly on the only dog demon within their midst. Inu Yasha growled at them, annoyed.
"WHAT?" the dog demon complained. "What are you looking at me for? I never mated with her! There's no way I would even think of-"
"Osuwari!" came a familiar voice from outside.
*WHAM!*
With the exception of the flattened Inu Yasha, everyone in the hut leapt to their feet, ready for trouble. A face peeked in, up side down from the top of the doorway. Raven hair and white dog ears complemented her girlish complexion. It was her, the strange girl from the shrine.
~~~~~~~~~
This is Chapter 4. Where would you like to go next?
