Cursed

CHAPTER 4


“Pack as much extra clothing as you can carry,” Kagome told them. “Don’t worry about bringing too much, you’d be surprised how fast you can go through it.”

Akane and Ranma had packed their bags for a long trip. “Where the hell do you think she’s taking us?” Ranma whispered to Akane. The girl shrugged. “Why are you asking me?”

It was getting very late by the time they were ready to start out for Kagome’s house. The girl was still muttering to herself as they walked. “Damn, I need more first aid supplies, especially that one burn cream that works so well. I hope Mom remembered to buy some more bug spray. I can’t deal with the mosquitoes this time of year, they’re huge.”

Ranma shook his head. “She’s not making any sense.” They’d set out at a brisk pace, Kagome was hoping to be home by midnight. She looked over her shoulder at her friends. “It’s okay,” she said smiling. “My mom is used to me doing strange things. We’ll spend the night at my place and head out at first light. I told them I’d be back in a week no matter what so they’ll be expecting me.

“Who is ctincting you?” Akane asked. Kagome kept babbling to herself. “I guess Ranma will have to stay with Sota, at least he won’t freak out over having a demon sleeping in his bedroom. Oh, I hope grandfather is asleep when we get there, I don’t want to be up all night trying to keep him from performing exorcisms.”

“Exorcisms?” Ranma looked horrified, he didn’t like the idea of some old coot trying to chant over him. “What are you talking about, and who’s this Sota and why am I sleeping in his bedroom?”

“Hmmm?” Kagome looked distracted. “Sota is my little brother, you’ll like him, even if he is a pest. He’s going to be thrilled to death that you’re camping on his floor.” Her expression turned positively mischievous. “My mom’s pretty easygoing, but she still doesn’t like the idea of boys spending the night in my room. I’ve pushed my luck too far on that one already.”

They had reached the shrine. “You live here?” Akane was impressed. “I’ve gone by this place a hundred times, I didn’t know that anyone was living on the grounds.”

Kagome looked proud. “My family have been the caretakers of this shrine for generations. It’s actually a very sacred place, but luckily it’s not well known. The tourist season is a real bear to live with, let me tell you.”

“So are you like a priestess in training or something,” Ranma wanted to know. It seemed like this girl was just full of surprises.

Kagome made a rude noise. “No way, but my grandfather would love the idea. I’d like to do something more exciting than tend a dusty old shrine and sell trinkets to the tourists. He’s been trying to talk my little brother into joining the priesthood, but Sota won’t let him shave his head. Can’t blame him there.”

She brought her friends up the steep steps and into the shrine’s main grounds. “See, there’s my house. Ooooh, looks like everyone is asleep. Let’s try to be quiet and not wake up my mother. I’d rather explain everything in the morning.”

The girl led them quietly into her home and up the stairs. “This is my room,” she whispered, turning on the lights. “You can just put your stuff on the bed, I’ve got to go wake up Sota and clue him in on the situation.”

“Kagome, where’s your bathroom?” Akane followed the girl down the hall and disappeared into the darkness.

Ranma sat down on the end of Kagome’s bed to wait. Across from him was a large mirror. He scowled at his reflection. The pointy ears weren’t that noticeable in his thick hair, but the markings on the sides of his face were very vivid. “I look like a damn kabuki actor,” he muttered. He bared his teeth at his reflection. “Whoa, no wonder they were scared of me, I’m a freaking nightmare.”

Depressed, he turned away from the mirror and started looking around the room. There was nothing to indicate it belonged to anyone other than a normal teenage girl. Only she wasn’t a normal teenage girl, just one that could stop raging demons in their tracks. He couldn’t remember what had happened, he could just recall a painful sensation coming over him when he held the jewel shard. He flinched away from the memory. That cold, evil feeling and a brilliant flash of light were not a pleasant thought.

He still couldn’t believe he’d gone that crazy. Akane’s face was going to be sporting a wicked bruise tomorrow. He didn’t even remember hitting her, let alone breaking four of his father’s ribs and nearly giving Soun Tendo a concussion. He looked at his clawed fingers, there was still a few traces of his father’s blood on them. He sniffed at them, feeling a little thrill from somewhere deep inside his body. He felt sick suddenly, thinking how easily it could have been Akane’s blood too.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the window slammed open behind him. “Damn you, Kagome,” a harsh voice rang out. “What is your fucking problem this time?”

Ranma was amazed. A wild looking young man had just pulled himself through Kagome’s bedroom window and now froze, staring at him. He stared back, his mouth open in surprise. The guy would have deserved a second look anywhere. He had long silvery white hair and strange golden eyes. To top it all off, the guy was dressed like he’d just stepped off the set of a samurai movie, complete with a katana slung at his hip.

“Hi,” Ranma said, watching as the young man’s expression darkened. “You must be a friend of Kagome’s.” The strange young man didn’t answer, but sniffed the air instead. His eyes narrowed and his mouth twisted into a snarl. “Who the fuck are you?”

Ranma fidgeted, his hand going to the back of his head nervously. “I’m Ranma Saotome,” he said. “Sorry about this.”

The guy grinned nastily, showing a mouthful of sharp fangs identical to Ranma’s. “Sorry? Oh believe me, you’re gonna be sorry.”

*****

“Come on, Sota. Wake up already.” Kagome nudged her little brother again. He turned over aurieuried his face in his pillow. “Go away, it’s not time for school yet.”

She tickled his ears. “I brought you a new friend to play with,” she teased. “A real live demon wants to sleep in your room.” That got his attention. The kid sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Who is he? Is it Inuyasha?”

Kagome pulled the blankets back. “No, silly, this is a new one, you haven’t met him yet. Come on, move your butt and I’ll introduce you to him.” She knew the boy would probably keep poor Ranma up for the rest of the night with questions, but it couldn’t be helped. “And I even brought you a pretty girl to talk to, her name is Akane.”

“Girls are dumb,” Sota yawned, hopping out of bed. “I want to see the demon.” She guided her little brother down the hall. They were almost at the door when a loud crash sounded from inside her bedroom.

Kagome flung open the door but the room was empty. Her bedroom window was shattered, it looked like something had been thrown through it. “Oh shit,” she murmured. She pushed Sota out of the way. “Don’t come in,” she warned. “There’s broken glass everywhere.”

Akane skidded to a stop and almost ran over the kid. “What was that, where’s Ranma?” Kagome picked her way through the glass to peer out the window. What she saw made her heart freeze. “Shit, shit, SHIT!” she cried, spinning around and running for the door. She grabbed the startled Akane by the arm and dragged her down the stairs, Sota at their heels.

“Kagome, what’s happening?” her mother’s voice called down the hall. Mrs. Higurashi was pulling on her nightrobe as she followed her daughter out the back door. “I’m sorry, Mom,” Kagome yelled over her shoulder. “I’ll sort it out, I promise.”

In the courtyard, Inuyasha had the demon pinned to the ground and was trying his best to beat him to death. Ranma rolled around trying to get some kind of leverage against the maniac who’d attacked him. “This is a mistake,” he howled desperately.

Inuyasha savagely pummeled him again. “You bet your ass it’s a mistake. Where’s Kagome, what have you done to her? I’m gonna fucking kill you, you damn youkai bastard!”

“Inuyasha, no!” Kagome shrieked. She flung herself at the hanyou and tackled him, no time for a sit at this point. They rolled over the hard stone courtyard, Ranma scrambled away from them, blood pouring from his nose. “You son of a bitch,” he shouted.

“Kagome, what the hell are you doing?” She’d landed on top of him and held him down, her fists knotted in his haori. He was glad to see she was alive, but her face was a mask of anger. “You stupid asshole,” she screamed right in his face. “He’s a friend, damn it!”

“A friend of whose?” he demanded, grabbing her arms and hoisting her off him. He shoved her to the side and got to his feet, looking murderously at Ranma. “Since when do you have youkai friends I don’t know about, bitch?”

The girl got to her feet and planted herself in front of him. “What are you trying to say?” she growled at him.
Inuyasha gulped. Kagome could be downright frightening when she was this angry. “What was I supposed to think? You disappear for a week and then when I come to get you, there’s a strange demon standing in your bedroom. I didn’t know he was a friend, I thought maybe he’d kidnapped or killed you. I was scared I came too late.”

She stopped, a funny expression on her face. “You were scared for me?” He backed away, hoping this didn’t mean a sit was about to happen. “Of course, how the hell was I to know you were okay?”

Kagome smiled at him, sunshine after the storm. “I guess I shouldn’t be mad then. I’m sorry Inuyasha, I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

The hanyou stared at her, hardly believing the way she changed gears on him. The girl grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the fuming, bleeding demon. “This is Ranma,” she said with a smile. A girl was trying to mop the demon’s face with her handkerchief. “And this is Akane.”

“And this is the middle of the night,” Mrs. Higurashi’s voice said, thick with disapproval. “Kagome, do you think it would be too much trouble for you to bring your friends inside the house before the neighbors call the police?”

Kagome’s face burned crimson. “I’m sorry, Mom. It was all just a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding, my ass,” Ranma grunted. He batted Akane’s handkerchief away from him. “I’m all right, leave off for a minute, would you?”

Akane gave him a cold look as she turned away. “I’m so sorry about the trouble, please don’t be angry with Kagome,” she smiled winningly at Kagome’s mother. “My name is Akane Tendo, your daughter has told me so much about you, Mrs. Higurashi. We’ve got a little crisis on our hands and Kagome is the only person who can help. I’m terribly embarrassed, please don’t think badly of us for bursting in on you like this.”

Kagome’s mother tilted her head to the side, a sly smile on her lips. “My, aren’t you a well spoken young lady. My daughter could learn a few things from you. I’m not angry, dear. I heard the crash and I had a feeling that Inuyasha must be somewhere near.”

The hanyou flushed until his face was nearly the same shade as his clothing. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, looking anywhere but at Kagome’s mother.

“I know, dear,” she smiled at the half-demon’s furious blush. “Why don’t you all follow me into the kitchen and have something hot to eat? I had thought all this peace and quiet was too good to last.”

*****

“My god, isn’t your mother a good sport about this,” Akane murmured to Kagome as the girls got dressed that morning. “I’d still be trying to pry my father off the walls.”

Mrs. Higurashi had made them a quick snack the night before, watched the way that Inuyasha and Ranma had gobbled down the food, and turned back to the stove and made twice as much again. Finally, she yawned loudly and shook the sleepy Sota awake. “I think the lot of you should get what rest you can tonight. You girls head up to bed now. Ranma, please feel free to sleep on the couch in the living room. It’s a lot more comfortable than Sota’s floor.” She turned an appraising look on the white haired dog-demon. “As for you,” she began, grinning at him for his disdain of such amenities as beds.

“I’ll be outside,” he’d answered promptly. He fixed Ranma with a distrustful glare. “Right outside, in case anyone needs me.”

Kagome went to her open, broken window. She pushed her head outside, feeling the crisp morning breeze on her cheeks. “Looking for me?” a voice asked her sourly.

Inuyasha’s head poked over the side of the roof. “Did you sleep outside my window?” she wanted to know. He flipped over the side and slid into the room. “Of course I did,” he snapped. “I’m not going to trust anyone I don’t know.”

“Are you always this paranoid?” Akane asked, brushing her short dark hair. “Or should I feel privileged?”

He snorted. “I wasn’t talking about you, girl. I was talking about that damn demon.” Kagome kicked his leg playfully. “Yes, he always is this paranoid. Don’t take it personally, it’s just him.”

“Bah,” he said, waving his hand in a rudely dismissive gesture. “Can we go now? We’ve got more important things to do than stand around here and yap at each other.”

“Okay, okay, we’re going.” Kagome sighed and shouldered her massive backpack. Inuyasha snatched it away from her and bounced off out the window. “Then move it, I ain’t got all day,” he called out.

“I’m using the door like a normal person,” she yelled back. Akane was looking at her with a slightly confused expression. Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned. “See what I mean? No consideration for anyone else. Just like a guy.”

They trotted happily down the stairs, Kagome pausing for a moment to kiss her mother on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she promised. Her mother rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard that before.”

Akane and Kagome stopped just outside. Inuyasha and Ranma were glaring at each other, looking ready to restart the fight from the night before. Tension had filled the small courtyard and youkai tempers were obviously in residence. Kagome squared her shoulders and walked right between the two tall young men, Akane a bare heartbeat behind her. “Knock it off,” she said, slapping Inuyasha on the chest.

Akane squared off against Ranma, her jaw set firmly. “No more fighting,” she told him sternly. He scowled at her, a lovely bruise had blossomed over his right eye, a perfect match for her own. “I’m serious, Ranma. I know you’re still angry, but for now can’t you just let it go?”

Inuyasha smirked. “Nice eye there, punk. Bet you’d like to pay me back for it, wouldn’t you?”

“Looking forward to it,” Ranma answered coldly. He turned away from the hanyou very deliberately. “Kagome, where is this place you want us to go?”

She let out her breath in a slow exhale, she didn’t realize she’d been holding it in. “Easy guys, let’s all just try to get along for a little while longer.” Inuyasha tossed his head and stalked away, heading for the shed that contained the hidden well.

Ranma and Akane followed Kagome into the shed. “Okay, this is a little hard to explain. This is a dry well, I don’t know why, but it’s also some kind of portal. Not everyone can use it, but I think with both me and Inuyasha here, we should be able to get you two through to the other side.”

“Other side of what?” Ranma asked, peering into the depths of the well.
Kagome grinned. “To the warring states era, the Sengoku Jidai, roughly five hundred years in the past.”

“What?” Both Ranma and Akane were taken aback by her casual statement. “You’ve got to be joking,” Ranma stated. Akane nodded. “How can a well take us into the past?”

Kagome stepped over to Inuyasha and tugged at his long white hair. “Come on, you didn’t think he was from around here, did you?” He grunted and ignored her, still watching Ranma with his distrustful yellow gaze. “It’s not important how it works,” she told them. “I’m not even sure I really want to know why it works, but I’ve been crossing over for more than a year. I know it sounds crazy, but what happened to you last night was crazy too.”

Ranma and Akane still looked a bit hesitant. Inuyasha folded his arms over his chest and favored the two teenagers with a condescending expression. “I don’t care if you believe her or not,” he said in a snotty tone. “Go back home if you’re too afraid to jump in and see for yourself.”

Ranma growled low in his throat. Akane looked surprised at the sound and backed away from him nervously. Inuyasha’s smile became decidedly unpleasant. “You scared to go in there, punk?”

“I’m not scared of anything,” Ranma snapped. “I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.” The boy jumped into the air and fell down the well. Kagome and Akane rushed to the side to look into its depths. “Wow, he really went through,” Kagome breathed.

Akane looked at her. “Why do you sound so surprised?” The girl shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t work for every demon, as far as I knew, only Inuyasha can cross into our time. Good thing too, I don’t even want to think about some of those monsters getting loose in Tokyo and raising hell.”

“What about me? Will I just fall through to the other side too?” Akane was getting a bit more nervous. The well was dark and dingy, she could barely make out the bottom. There’s got to be spiders or something down there, she thought.

Kagome rubbed her arm comfortingly. “Com, I’, I’ll jump with you. I think if I hold your hand, you will get through okay.” She didn’t tell Akane about the time that Inuyasha had sealed the well against her by stealing her jewel fragment. She patted her pocket, the tiny shard was safe enough for now.

“Uh, no,” Akane was backing away from her now. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I want to help Ranma but I’m not sure about falling into a different world. What if we can’t come back, my family won’t know what happened.”

“Akane,” Kagome said, concerned. “I swear its safe, just jump in quickly. It’s best if you don’t think about it too much.”

She was embarrassed. “I’m scared of dark, closed spaces,” she confessed. She didn’t think she could force herself to look into the well again and turned away from her friend, her face burning shamefully.

A pair of strong arms seized her from behind and whisked her off her feet. “Hey,” she shouted.

Inuyasha laughed. “Don’t be such a girl about it.” Kagome stared as the hanyou jumped to the side of the well and dropped inside, Akane’s scream of terror echoed briefly and then was cut off. Kagome rushed to the side of the well and looked inside. “I guess that was one way to handle the situation,” she muttered, throwing her pack and Akane’s down the well before leaping over the edge herself.

*****

Akane clutched at the half-demon’s arms as she fell, his laugh still echoing in her ears. She was falling, she was floating, then she was falling again through a light spangled darkness. She stared in disbelief as the walls of the well became solid around them again and she smelled the scent of wildflowers.

Inuyasha touched down gently, hardly jarring her as the ground became firm underneath them. “See, nothing to worry about,” he grinned. She twisted her head to look back at him. The well was open above them and she could see the sky was a startling blue. She felt his body tense as the half-demon crouched slightly and leapt easily out of the well.

Akane stared around her, still hanging limply as she looked around them. They were in a small grassy glade, lush trees surrounded them and she could hear birds chirping softly in the forest. “I don’t believe it,” she said faintly. Her head was dizzy from the experience, if Inuyasha hadn’t been holding her up, she would have collapsed from the shock of her transition.

“Inuyasha!” A stooped old woman was bearing down on them, her wrinkled face set with disapproval. She glowered at the hanyou. “Please tell me that you did not kidnap that girl from Kagome’s country. It is most improper for you to do so.”

“I didn’t kidnap nobody, you old bat,” he snapped, dropping the girl abruptly. Akane staggered against the side of the well, her knees didn’t seem to want to support her at the moment. The old woman turned a gentle look on the girl. “Is that the truth, child? Be you his prisoner or here of your own free will?”

“I’m, I’m not his prisoner,” she said, still bemused by her surroundings. Inuyasha was vindicated. “Hah, see old hag? I didn’t kidnap her. And I’m sick of everyone around here thinking I’m some kind of freak pervert, next time you accuse me of anything, you’d better be prepared to back it up.”

“Oh be still,” Kaede said, helping the poor girl to her feet. “My name is Kaede, I’m priestess of this village. Where is Kagome, I had thought she’d return by now.”

“I’m here,” the girl huffed, pulling herself out of the well. Inuyasha made no move to help her this time with her heavy packs. He was still in a snit over Kaede’s accusations. Kagome wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I see you’ve met Akane,” she smiled. The priestess returned her smile warmly.

“Yes, this is the first time you’ve brought a friend with you, Kagome. What is the purpose of such a visit?”

Kagome’s eyes went wide and she searched the glade. “Oh my god, I almost forgot,” she said. “Where’s Ranma, didn’t he come out of the well with you two?”

Inuyasha scowled. “He wasn’t here when I came through,” he muttered. He sniffed the air, looking for the young youkai’s scent. “Come on,” he growled, heading for the forest. The girls ran after him, trying to keep up with his rapid pace.

Kaede sighed and made her way back to the village. More young people all the time, she thought. This once used to be such a peaceful village.

*****

Ranma felt his feet meet the ground lightly. “Wow, what a trip,” he murmured, looking around the sides of the wells. Pretty wildflowers grew thick on the vines that covered the inside of the shaft and he made short work of the climb out. “Wow,” he said again. Lush greenery surrounded him and Ranma felt his heart give a little thump of happiness. He swung his legs over the side and started to explore the small glade.

He grinned unconsciously, enjoying the sight and smell of the wilderness. He hadn’t realized until just this moment how thick and rank the air in Tokyo was. The young demon took a deep breath, filling his lungs with a fresh green smell of forest. He laughed, feeling giddy and just a little high on the rich air. His ears twitched at a sound and he followed.

He heard the sound of a rabbit hiding in the brush. The small creature’s heart beat rapidly, sensing a predator nearby. Without realizing it, his ears had tuned to the rabbit’s pulse, the smell of the hare was rich in his nostrils. He jumped for the tiny animal, his clawed fingers scrabbling joyfully in the soft green grass.

He missed, but he caught the hare’s scent again and pursued it deeper into the forest. His whole body felt alive with the chase and he pounced like a happy puppy on the frightened hare. He caught it this time and held the rabbit up and gave a joyful bark at his success. He might have broken its neck and eaten the hare raw, but a twig snapped just behind him and new scent tickled his nose.

The young demon whirled, his body going into a crouch as he dropped the lucky hare and it bounded away from him. A girl appeared from the cover of the trees, a beautiful girl. Ranma stood up a bit straighter, strange, pleasant sensations coursing in his veins. The girl looked at him levelly, no humor or expression on her face. She was wearing a tight black outfit, it showed off her lovely legs and figure. He smiled hesitantly, drawing closer.

She pulled a large boomerang off her back, her expression quite serious. “That’s close enough, demon.”

He stopped, wary of the weapon she held. Her scent was distracting, somewhere in the back of his mind, Ranma knew the rules of the game. He should tell her his name, tell her he meant her no harm. But speech seemed to be something that he’d left on the other side of the dry well. His eyes were focused on the girl’s face and she flushed uncomfortably at his frank, interested stare.

“Uh, just keep your distance,” Sango said, backing away. The youkai was staring at her in way that made her feel very vulnerable. She hadn’t run across one like this before, he looked almost human, with a young man’s good looking face and intense blue eyes. Of course the markings on his cheeks were a dead giveaway, if the fangs and clawed hands didn’t make him obvious.

Ranma was fascinated. The scent of the girl’s skin made him dizzy and excited all the same time. He didn’t want to hurt her, he just wanted to be a bit closer, just to feel the warmth that radiated off her like a summer sun. He stepped forward and she stepped back. Her posture was defensive, like she knew how to take care of herself. Although uneasy, there was no trace of fear in her pretty eyes. She lowered her chin with a serious look on her face.

He crept closer, listening to the sound her blood rushing in her body. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Sango tensed, her hands tightened on her weapon. “I know you aren’t,” she said smoothly.

He pounced suddenly, moving faster than she’d expected. Unable to make a clean throw, she swung the boomerang with all her might, bringing the flat of the weapon up and striking him hard in the face. The demon fell back, stunned from her blow, a thin trickle of blood streaming from his nose.

“What am I doing?” His voice sounded confused and Sango hesitated before taking a lethal strike at the youkai. She noticed his face was already bruised, like someone had used him for a battering dummy. Now that he wasn’t staring at her in such a lewd, intentional way, she could see that he was hardly more than a boy, youkai or not.

She took a few steps back, not dropping her guard for an instant. She kept her weapon ready, it wouldn’t be first time a youkai had tried to play on her pity to get at her. “What’s your name?” she demanded harshly. “Why did you come here, are you looking for trouble? I won’t allow you to harm any humans in the village.”

A crashing sound interrupted her interrogation. The young youkai looked up dumbly as Kagome, Inuyasha and a strange girl joined them. To her surprise, the two girls knelt at the demon’s side, one of them trying to wipe away the blood.

Inuyasha whistled softly, a pleased grin breaking over his face as he surveyed the damage the youkai’s face. “I see you’ve been making friends with Sango,” he chuckled.

END CHAPTER 4