"Ugggh... why did things turn out like this?"
Kagome sat on the school roof, her back against the railing, looking like she had lost all will to live.
Waking up with a hangover from accidentally drinking Kirinmaru's "exotic juice" was bad enough. She had prepared a dozen different excuses for why she might be late or missing classes today.
But could someone please explain why, when she finally "woke up," she found herself already sitting in a classroom?
At first, her brain had simply short-circuited. But after reclaiming control of her body and having a direct conversation with the "other me" inside her head, she realized this wasn't an illusion or a dream.
It was a cold, hard fact.
Kikyo's soul had awakened within her. More accurately, they were now two souls sharing a single vessel.
Realizing that this was likely the result of Rin's poorly phrased wish the day before, Kagome didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Kikyo's spectral silhouette stood beside her, translucent and regal, her gaze fixed on the distant skyscrapers of the modern city. The landscape, the customs, the very pace of life here were fundamentally alien to her ancient world.
"Aaah... okay. I get it. I understand the situation."
Kagome stood up and let out a long, heavy sigh. She was usually a practical girl; since the situation had already occurred, complaining wouldn't change anything.
"In that case... let's try to get along from now on, Kikyo."
Kagome extended a hand, her expression surprisingly serious. She didn't know if this was Rin's subconscious desire or some hidden wish of Inuyasha's, but she couldn't just ignore Kikyo's presence. Since they were sharing a body, they might as well make the best of it.
Besides, Kagome wasn't the type to be petty about such things.
She knew that everyone--especially Inuyasha--would be overjoyed to know that Kikyo had returned in this strange, a-typical way.
But as she thought of Inuyasha's inevitable reaction, a small, mischievous part of her felt a sudden surge of "displeasure."
'That guy... he's going to be absolutely thrilled, isn't he?'
(Decided! I'm going to keep this a secret from him for a while. I'll only tell Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, and Elder Kaede.)
She decided on a whim to keep Inuyasha in the dark. She couldn't let him have it too easy; it was only fair after all the "trouble" he'd caused her over the years.
"Phew... did I maybe get a bit too greedy?"
Back in her own world, Moroha was lugging a massive sack of treasures, scratching her head in doubt.
She hadn't been able to say goodbye to her drunken mother, but she figured it didn't matter. Before leaving the past, she had made a quick stop at her grandfather's (Toga's) place to ask for some "souvenirs."
"Rare treasures?" she'd asked.
Toga had laughed and told her to help herself to whatever she could find in his storehouse. By the time she was done, she had packed so much that the bag was almost as big as she was. She still remembered the "exasperated" look on her grandmother's face as she walked away.
"Well, anyway... I got stuff for Towa and Setsuna, too."
"This is enough to keep us fed and clothed for life! Yes!!"
"And Grandfather left me with a bit of extra youki... if I ever see Kirinmaru again, I'll let Grandfather personally beat him up! Hehe!"
Her mood was excellent. The time spent in the past had felt warmly familiar, like a home she'd never known she had.
Fwoo-fwoo...
She whistled a jaunty tune as she made her way toward the Kaede village. She had no idea that a "miracle" had already transformed the world around her.
"Inuyasha... you're saying a mysterious force suddenly brought you both back to this world?"
Elder Kaede looked at the two people sitting before her--people she hadn't seen for many years--and let out a long, emotional sigh.
"Yeah. Kagome and I are still trying to figure it out ourselves," Inuyasha said, scratching his head.
"Who could have done such a thing?"
He and Kagome had been trapped in Toga's tomb for over an decade, only to be suddenly "teleported" back to the village.
"It didn't feel like the power of the Black Pearl..." Kagome added, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Is that so? Actually... Sesshomaru was here yesterday."
"Sesshomaru?"
"He came to take Rin, Towa, and Setsuna with him..."
Kaede looked at the memory with confusion. "Jaken only said that Kirinmaru had suddenly returned to the Eastern Lands with his daughter, and they weren't sure what to think. But one thing is certain: the chaos has subsided. Someone, somehow, managed to fix everything while we were looking the other way."
"The guy who made Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru both back down?"
"Tch. If such a person exists, I'd like to meet them."
Inuyasha couldn't imagine anyone making Sesshomaru "behave," much less the stubborn Kirinmaru.
"HEY! TOWA! SETSUNA!"
"I'M BACK--!!"
A sudden shout from outside the house made the three of them freeze.
"That voice..."
Kaede recognized it instantly. Inuyasha and Kagome stood up and rushed outside.
"Huh? Dad? Mom? What are you guys doing here?"
Moroha stood there, lugging her massive bag, staring at the two people who had just burst out of the hut. For a second, her brain didn't quite process why her parents were standing there.
"Moroha..."
"MOROHA--!!"
Before Inuyasha could move, Kagome had already thrown herself forward, pulling the girl into a bone-crushing hug. She didn't need a DNA test; she knew her child the moment she saw her.
"Ugh... a bit... too tight... Mom..."
Moroha dropped her bag on the ground, feeling like she was being suffocated.
"Sorry! I'm just... so happy!"
"But you... you look so healthy."
"Actually, I was planning on finding the Black Pearl to get you guys out myself," Moroha said, her brain finally catching up. "Guess I don't need to now."
She realized it must have been Shenron's work. There was no other reason for her parents to be suddenly standing in the village.
"You know about the Black Pearl?"
"Yeah. My parents from the past told me everything."
Inuyasha and Kagome both froze at Moroha's casual remark.
"What did you say, Moroha?"
The joy of the reunion was momentarily eclipsed by the sheer impossibility of what the girl had just said.
"Hehe! I took a little trip to the past. Met 'the younger you' and Dad."
"So, I know everything now."
Moroha puffed out her chest, looking extremely proud of herself. But the next second, Kagome was placing a hand on her forehead.
"You don't have a fever..."
"I'm serious! I really know everything!"
"Mom is from 500 years in the future, and Dad's first love was 'Kikyo-mama'!"
"HEY! SHUT UP!"
Inuyasha lunged forward and slammed a hand over Moroha's mouth, his face turning as red as a beet. He was breaking into a cold sweat. He believed her! He believed her! Just stop talking!
Luckily, Kagome was still in a state of shock and hadn't fully processed the "Kikyo-mama" part yet.
"Moroha... what happened to you? Can you tell us the whole story?"
Kagome pushed Inuyasha's hand away and looked at her daughter with a newfound intensity. It seemed their child had been on a journey far more incredible than they could have imagined.
"Ugh, fine. Where should I start?"
"Maybe with 'the other Mom'?"
"HEY! MOROHA! STOP IT!"
"I'm serious, Dad!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]