Chapter 8 by LewdaKris

Poor girl. This definitely wasn't her day. It was one surprise after another.

She knew that college life was full of 'interesting' people, but this was ridiculous. "Ugh..." She groaned lethargically. "Where am I now?" She woke up and discovered that she was in a cool, white room with blue trimmings along the walls.

"You seem to be even more frail than you appear to be." A calculating voice stated to her. "Do not worry yourself-- I have brought you here to the student health clinic."

Kagome skewed a gaze at the ever suave Sesshoumaru. "Uh... I must have blacked out again." She responded groggily. "Who was it this time? I could have sworn that I'd seen Rin earlier today." She searched his callous golden eyes for answers-- like that would be of any help.

A slight insinuation of a smirk captured his face. "Your eyes are definitely not deceiving you, Kagome." Sesshoumaru explained, which startled the eighteen year old coed. "That was indeed Rin you saw earlier.... and the other woman that bares your countenance as well."

"Kikyou too?... Ah! I cannot believe this is happening!" She tossed the sheets off her body and sat up at the edge of the sickbed. The gown being an unpleasant reminder of a recent disagreeable experience. "You have to tell me, Sesshoumaru. This all has to be some sort of big mistake-- like an alternate reality or something."

"This is reality,"was all he remarked.

"Then why is it all so strange?" She inquired. "Am I the only victim of circumstance here?"

"Accept your fate, girl." Sesshoumaru stated firmly. "It's your life..."

Kagome's face was stolen by a frown of consternation. "You know something... You just want to wait to a certain time to spill the beans."

This time, Sesshoumaru actually smiled, with teeth gleaming. "Humph. You seem to be back at one hundred percent. It was all just a state of shock, I'd say."

"No. No more riddles."

"As I said, Kagome, it will all be revealed to you in due time." He about-faced and ambled off towards the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, there are late registrars that I must tend to." Just as he laid his hand on the knob, the door opened and in came Rin.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin began with concern evident in her voice. "Is Pretty Lady okay?"

"She is well." He answered the adorable little girl. "Pretty Lady hasn't been eating her vegetables, that's all."

A cute pout stole Rin's face. "No...no. Pretty Lady should always eat her vegetables, otherwise she will feel sick all the time. If she eats vegetables, she will be more healthy. That was what my mommy used to tell me all the time."

"I'm sure she wouldn't avoid her vegetables next time, Rin." Sesshomaru said to the child while he patted her head gently. "I'll see you later, okay kiddo?"

"Bye-bye Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin waved.

Kagome registered the scene that had just played before here eyes. No matter what era or dimension it was-- the president of the university was still sort of a role model/father figure to Rin. 'Rin is so cute. I guess some things never change.'

Previously lost in thought, she didn't realize that the girl was looking at her until she spoken. "You look like you are feeling better, Pretty Lady."

"Yes. It would seem so." Kagome replied with a giggle. "You aresuch an adorable little girl. Your name is Rin, right?" She asked the child.

"Hai. Rin is my name. Do you know mommy too?"

"Rin, is she okay?" Came Kikyou's dulcet voice as she entered the clinic. She noticed Kagome sitting up on the bed whom was talking with Rin. "I'm terribly sorry if she is worrying you." Kikyou apologized. "My daughter was very concerned about you after you fainted."

"No worries." Kagome shrugged, but in the deep recesses of her mind she really wanted to pop up the question. "Your name is Kikyou, right?"

"Yes. Nanakase Kikyou." The older girl revealed while eyeing the younger one in slight mystification. "Is something the matter?"

"No." Kagome replied, surprised that she was chuckling, despite herself. "I'm just suffering from a bad case of deja vu. I guess college life can do that to you."

She smiled-- not the cold, unforgiving one that Kagome was familiar with but an actual warm one-- as though they were long time friends. "Don't worry about it. You'll get used too it. I went through that stage too." Rin was behind her, fiddling on her mother's hair.

"Mommy, can I go out and play on the swing-set outside?" Rin asked.

"Yea, go ahead dear." Kikyou replied. "I'll be out in a minute, okay?"

"OKAY!!" Rin chirped and skipped her way towards the door.

"Your daughter is quite lively." Kagome said. "And she's really cute."

"Isn't she?" Kikyou remarked, a mischievous smile playing on her moon face. "Makes you want to go out and actually have one." A hint of pink appeared on her porcelain face, which was pretty atypical of the Kikyou we all know. She even flipped her hair in an elegant manner.

Once again, Kagome encounterd yet another surprise.

Eyes wide and quite startled, Kagome popped the query, "Shearen't herbiological mother!?"

"No... I am not." Kikyou answered, sadness evident in her expression. "However, I raised her all of her life. So that makes her my daughter. And I love her dearly as if she was my very own."

"What... what happened to her real parents?" Kagome idly asked the older girl.

"Her parents... were victims of a crime spree years ago. I was in high school when it all happened." Kikyou explained, her pecan shaped chocolate eyes deep in reminiscence. "I was a junior, on a school trip to a shopping district in Osaka... however on that day my life was forever changed..."

"Oh..."

She gazed at the ceiling. "We were informed of an investigation going on at the time. The offenders were known for going around murdering people and burning some of the residences. After my friends and I left a shopping center, I've heard the cries of an infant child coming from an off limits apartment. Strangely, I was the only person that heard her. My peers said I was acting weird but I soon proved them wrong."

"So, you went inside, regardless of the polices' advisory?"

"Yes. They too thought I was going coo-coo because they didn't hear any cries either. But after some debate, the chief of the investigation decided to allow me to search for the child for a few minutes."

"And that's when you found Rin?"

"Yes. It was actually strange though, because they swore they didn't hear any cries of a baby. Rin... when I found her, she immediately ceased crying and smiled at me." Kikyou stated, a fond smiled on her face as she remember the expression on Rin's face that day. "She had a beautiful smile... impish, but beautiful."

"Wow." Kagome gasped, slightly amazed. This woman was like the Kikyou Inuyasha used to speak of before she passed away: a symbol of hope. "That is deep."

"That's how it turned out. It's safe to say that it was an act of fate." She noticed that Kagome seemed to be feeling better than she was before. "Are you sure you're going to be okay, miss..." She couldn't really recall the girl's name, maybe it wasn't revealed to her as of yet.

"Kagome." Kagome answered. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Like I said before, I'm just going through a phase. Got to get used to this you know?"

"Right. Well, it's about time for me to head out. Maybe I'll see you around real soon, Kagome."

"I betyou will. Definitely will." Kagome replied and the older woman exited the health clinic. She wasn't so bad after all. At least the incarnation of Kikyou was far nicer than Kikyou from five centuries ago. And Rin? The kid was just as cute and bubbly as ever.

She remembered that it was Thursday, which was technically the start of the weekend. Maybe her old peers were up to something. Oh well, better check out of the clinic and convince those two to stay out of trouble.

(Scenario)

"That's game! You lose."

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Bankotsu groaned collectively in defeat. "Damn. What that was? That was the third game in a row."

"You drips don't know a thing about playing spades." Renkotsu taunted, shuffling the deck for the next game. If we were to be gambling..." He popped the Black & Mild from his lips and artistically puffed out a yen sign into Miroku's face. "...you all would have been broke by now."

Miroku cleared his throat. "Don't you know second-hand smoke is just as bad on me as it is on you?"

"Man, ain't nobody trying to hear that junk, lover boy." Renkotsu scoffed. "You wanted a challenge in spades so you might as well put up with it."

"Do you notice me wearing this clinical mask over my nose?" Inuyasha suggested. "Hurry it up, would you? I'm cutting the cards this time."

An auburn haired coed came over to the table and leaned on Renkotsu's shoulder. "Ren-kun, when do I get to play? Me and my girlfriends are becoming impatient."

"Soon as I get through beating my homies again." Renkotsu declared, pulling his durag down on his brow. "After this, maybe you and your friends can play strip poker?" He eyed the other three coeds whom was watching the home theatre television suggestively.

The said three women glared disapprovingly at him, except the girl leaning on him.

"Hey, as an added bonus, I'll even lose deliberately."

"No. We don't need you to traumatize us like that." One of the coeds replied. The joke was followed by giggling filling the dormitory lobby. "So classic poker will be just fine for us."

Renkotsu frowned. "Humph! Punk ass good girls."

"C'mon cousin," Bankotsu said, growing impatient. "Let's get on to the next game."

"I agree." Miroku acquiesced. "The smoke coming from the joint is disturbing me."

"Wimps." Renkotsu scoffed before regarding the girl on his shoulder. "Hey kid, you can go on ahead and finish this up for me." He passed the black & mild to her before handing out the cards.

Something just outside the building caught Inuyasha's attention. "Hey? Who are those women outside? The two that look likequitethe lookers?" The other players paused their game to see what he was talking about. "Great--here comes another naive chick in a short skirt."

"Man! That's the shortest one I've seen all day. And check out the calves on her!" Renkotsu noticed. "I bet I'll have her number by tomorrow night."

"Those two lovely women are the late registrars I was speaking of the other day." Miroku explained with a gleam of lust in his eyes. "Indeed. They are very pleasant on the eyes. They're majors in cosmetology."

Bankotsu sighed, his long braid swinging behind his head as he nodded, "I certainly hope that they survive this semester. I can already guess you guys want to run through 'em like pile-drivers."

"Shit... that's what makes higher education all the more interesting." Renkotsu chuckled. "Bankotsu, what are you complaining about? During summer semester you had all the foreign coeds interested in you. Why am I not surprised?"

Bankotsu feigned innocence. "Me? Those girls from Atlanta just wanted to show me the meaning of..." He frowned in concentration. "... the meaning of the word 'crunk.'"

All four laughed at his remarked. "Hey--hey! They're about to come in here." Renkotsu advised. "Look cool, you guys."

The four resumed their game.

The first woman seemed to be the more mature one. Her hair was jet black and extremely long in which it cascade a great deal down her back. Her light brown eyes held an unruffled expression. Her choice of clothing was simple; a flowing long sleeved white sweater and dark blue jeans which was neither fitting nor baggy. She gave the lobby a critical gaze. "Hmm. The residence here seems nice enough." She said to her companion. "It's a tad nicer than the one back in Osaka, don't you think Yura?"

Her companion, obviously, was far more lenient. "Yeah... pretty nice." She shrugged. Her dark hair was in a short 'page-boy' style and showed off her smooth oval face and thin neck. She wore a red ribbon atop her head like a young schoolgirl in which she was obviously not. She was of generous build and the white mono-sleeved shirt and the paltry baby-blue miniskirt only gauds her blessed assets. Because of this it gave her a risque and glamorous demeanor. "Cousin Tsubaki, you like it don't you?"

"Yes." Tsubaki nodded. "A nice home for the next few years, wouldn't you say?"

"Um hmm." Yura agreed. "And I certainly hope that those guys over there are nice as well." She pointed towards the gang that was playing cards. "The guy wearing purple and the one with the durag can't even keep their eyes off of me."

"Girl, with an ass like that, who wouldn't?" Renkotsu blurted out. He took a puff of his joint and displayed 'Howdy partner' in smoke. "Come on, you know you love that kind of attention?"

Yura considered him with a smirk. "Nice trick." She took the joint from his mouth and puffed it, and what came out in smoke was, 'My oh my, aren't we desperate?'

"Hey! Give that back!" Renkotsu demanded.

Inuyasha was, for once, impressed. "How the hell you do that shit?"

"It takes practice, cutie." Yura replied. "And your hair is so beautiful. I wonder who was the lucky girl that dyed it for you?"

"Keh. This is my natural hair color." Inuyasha shrugged.

"Fascinating." Yura complimented with wide eyes. "You're a blessed one, boy." She pushed back a hand that tried to slap her derriere. "Nah uh. You tried that before, my friend." She reminded Miroku.

The said man chuckled in guilt. "My apologies. Anyway, I see that you two are definitely enjoying the scenery."

"I am Tsubaki and this is my cousin, Yura." Tsubaki introduced. "It's quite a honor to be enrolled here at Tokyo University."

"Indeed. You may remember me as Miroku." He gazed over to Inuyasha...

"Inuyasha. There you have it."

"I'm Bankotsu."

"And I'm John Dow."

Yura wasn't fooled by the false moniker. "You need to stop, desperation. That isn't you real name."

"Master Pimp."

"You're persistent are you?"

"Fore-Play."

Yura yawned. " You're trying way too hard."

"Okay! It's Renkotsu damn it!"

"There. Now that wasn't too hard for you, was it?" Yura taunted, which was followed by more giggling. During that moment, Kagome had entered the lobby intent on looking for Eri and Ayumi. But what delayed her from reaching them was, "Are you alright?" Yura asked the shock stricken girl. "You're not a player on the other team are you? If you are, I'm sorry. I don't roll in the other lane like that."

"It's like you've seen a ghost?" Tsubaki surveyed. "Our faces aren't familiar to you by any chance?"

Shock and anxiety was evident on Kagome's face. Now she really didn't expected to see these two women again. They were both nearly successful on killing her in the past... and then there was Bankotsu and Renkotsu-- the most cunning and manipulative members of the Shichinintai. At first, she wanted to run like the law was on her ass but she steeled her resolve. "Um... I'm fine. Just fine. It's nothing but a weird case of deja vu." She answered lamely. "I'm new here so I guess the atmosphere does this to newbies like me."

"Oh." Tsubaki considered. "Sorry to trouble you."

"Yeah, don't sweat it." Yura giggled. "And besides, I really love your hair, you must have gaijin in you?"

'Damn. It's happening again.' Kagome thought. "You know, a lot of people say that to me. I guess the wavy hair and my blue eyes are sort of a giveaway." Kagome explained bluntly, slowly creeping to the entrance of the hallways. "Nice meeting you! Gotta run!"

Tsubaki raised a brow. "Strange..."

"I guess you got to do what cha got to do." Said Yura. "I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up at the top of her class." She skewed a glance towards Inuyasha and Miroku whom were seemingly blushing red from embarrassment. It appears that they know the girl. "What's with you two?"

"Nothing." Miroku quickly answered.

"We almost got into deep shit with her." Inuyasha shrugged in a kind of indifferent way. "She's a nice girl but her life was almost changed because of us."

"Inuyasha! Why are you so callous about it?" Miroku demanded. "Weren't you in the least bit nervous."

"I was... to be honest."

"You heathens." Yura teased. "You know good and well that college isn't all about digging into women's breeches. What did you expect?"

" I don't know. I have to give it to them though." Bankotsu nodded, readying his hand of cards. "She's pretty pleasant on the eyes. She's just right-- not too thin and not too thick. And any straight guy will swoon over that baby face of hers. It's just the way I like 'em."

Yura pouted cutely. "Humph! Men..."

(Scenario)

"What's up girl?" Eri welcomed. "Come on in." She opened the door wider to allow Kagome inside the room. Eri flopped on her bed and pointed towards the desk at the corner. "You can take that seat. What you got on your mind to tell us about, Kagome?"

"Nothing much." Kagome responded. "Just wanted to swing by and see what you girls were doing."

"Just relaxing and killing time." Eri answered, gazing at the wall fillel with ads from magazines featuring anime bishonens and American musicians. "Just patiently waiting until the college club opens. All coeds get to enter for free."

Ayumi was typing away on her laptop on the other side of the room. "Hey Kagome, do you have Kaguya-san for World History? She wants us to have a twenty page report due by the fifth week of the semester. I'm taking the initiative and already typed up fifteen pages."

Kagome balked at the familiar name. "Did you say... Kaguya?"

"I am so glad that I'm not taking her for World History." Eri sounded relieved. "Our World History instructor be falling asleep his own damn self in class."

Kagome was still baffled. "Ka...gu...ya...?"

Ayumi saved her history report. "Yeah. She's a strict instructor but she does kind of give me the creeps. Most of the males are crushing on her because she's so beautiful." She looked contemplative for a moment. "Come to think of it, we nicknamed her 'The Celestial Maiden' because she bears the same name as the one in the legend."

'Oh no...' Kagome mentally groaned.

Ayumi carried on. "Some people even think that she's a witch too. Her gaze is so piercing it was said she can even hypnotize you."

"Now that's a creepy chick." Eri piped up as she jumped on her bottom on the bed. "But still, it's sound to me like it's all silly superstition. I bet she even have a menacing laugh." She pitched her voice shrilly and laughed like some sort of wicked witch. "Ye! He! He! He! He!" She realized that Kagome seemed a little apprehensive. "Say, what's the matter, Kagome? It's seems that the Kaguya person is scaring you?"

"Yeah. Real creepy if you ask me." Kagome stated. "Please don't laughed like that any more."

"Not only that-- she's seems to be self loathing." Ayumi informed. "She keeps saying the humanity will bring the end to themselves. Sounds like a prophet more than a teacher to me."

"Change of subject!" Eri interrupted. "So Kags, are you coming along with us to the club tonight?"

Said girl was hesitant. "Um... I'd rather not..." She relayed.

"I guess you had enough from the previous party, huh?" Eri snickered. "Come on Kagome, lighten up. None of you suffered any sort of consequences."

That girl just didn't know...

"That's sort of what I had in mind..." Kagome began with hesitation. "Eri please be careful. Don't be a victim of circumstances... like I almost was."

"Don't worry." Ayumi replied in a carefree voice. "Hardly any of the men here are my type. They don't have any true ambitions for knowledge..." A blush of pink stole her features. "...ooh... except maybe Bankotsu. He's a real man... good looks, charisma, strong, and a love for history... Ooh! He's too much!"

"Just be careful, Ayumi... please..."

"Certainly." She saluted cutely. "And I'll be sure to steer clear from American tea."

On the other hand, Eri seemed peeved. "So, you want to be a sort of guardian to us all of a sudden?" She queried will a imposing calm.

"No! I didn't mean that, I-"

"Well, well... I do recall being months older than you are Kagome." She explained with a disturbing clarity. "But this is my coed life and I'm going to do what I pretty much please to do."

"Eri!" Ayumi chided, sensing the fury. "That tone is way too harsh."

"Eri... I didn't mean to scold you." Kagome apologized. "I'm just advising you to be careful out there. This isn't some sort of high school party. The stakes are higher and I'll be less of a friend if I did not warn you so."

"So just because you pinned down two men at the same time and now you think that you are all that?" Eri seethed, looking up in Kagome's face due to the fact that she's a tad taller than Eri. "How dare you? Yuka went her own way...."

Ayumi gasped.

"That's not... Fine..." Kagome gave up, her face tear stained. "I'm sorry. It's not right for me to impose on you like that..."

Eri smirked triumphantly.

"Guess I'll take my leave..." She headed for the door.

"Kagome!!"

She shut the door... quietly.

"Eri! Why did you have to be so hard on her!?" Ayumi demanded. "You know that Kagome is pretty sensitive at times."

"No! Kagome was wrong for that, Ayumi." Eri retorted. "Ain't no telling how many times she had a rendezvous with her mystery men during all the time that she was sick back in middle school."

"Some friendship we have..." Ayumi sighed. "You need to apologize to her, Eri! She was just looking out for us. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Humph. I'm going to take a shower."

Things change. But is it for the better?

(Scenario)

Kagome was lamenting the recent argument. Why did one of her long time friends had to get angry-- all because she advised her to be careful? She didn't want Eri to go through the same thing that she went through the other day. Man... college life is hard on people at times."

A voice interrupted her from her musing. "Kohaku! Be careful with that flower stand!"

It can't be!? The voice was so familiar. Maybe it's time for a pleasant surprise after all. She quickly lifted her window seal and frantically searched for any sign of life on the darkened parking lot. Her intuition proved correct...

Sango.

"Okay sis!" A tall spikey haired young man replied to the older girl. "Why did you have to bring all this stuff with you anyway?"

"There, there, Kohaku." A kind, middle aged man in a military uniform reassured his child. "Sangou is going to be living here for quite a while. You might as well consider this her new home."

"Father's right. Now c'mon. Don't I have to carry that too?" Sango remarked. Just the Sango as she remembered. Well, her hair is marginally shorter and she wore a baggy lavender sweat suit-- a pure contrast to her uniform centuries ago. But the features of her and the strong willed persona remained the same.

Kagome couldn't help it, but she did it anyway. "Sango-chan!!"

The three near the sports utility vehicle quickly glanced at the girl that shouted from the window. "Sango, are you sure you've never been around here before?"

"Nope. First time in this part of the city. Period." Sango replied.

"Man, I'll say." Kohaku whistled. "You just arrived here and people already know about you. And she's pretty cute."

"Kohaku..."

END OF CHAPTER 8