Stranded

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

Kagome finally finished packing all her things into her yellow bag, and closed it with a sigh. Her eyes scanned the room searching for anything she might have missed. A strand of her raven black hair fell into her face so she brushed it aside and kept looking; her brown eyes squinted in confusion as her gaze landed on a pack of chocolate. "Shippo would never forgive me if I forgot his chocolate." She sighed before stuffing the chocolate into the almost bursting bag. She then mentally double checked the contents of the bag then making sure she had everything, she left her room and went to say goodbye to her family once again.

"Kagome!" Souta yelled as he ran down the hall after his sister. "Kagome wait!"

"Souta what is it?" She asked with a note of boredom in her voice.

"Mom wants to talk to you, something about your report card." He smirked and ran off before she had a chance to smack him.

"I thought I told you to hide that for me you little twerp!" Kagome yelled down the hall after her brother. She growled and marched down the hall and stairs to the living room where her mother and grandfather were waiting. She set her bag down by one of the chairs before stating the obvious. "Is something wrong?"

"Kagome, your grandfather and I are very disappointed in the quality of your schooling. Your frequent disappearances to the feudal era is taking a serious toll on your grades. Which is why we have come up with a compromise." Her mother tugged on her apron nervously as she spoke. "Your grandfather will seal up the well until you're grades improve. Until then you cannot and will not go through the will to play with your friends." With a sigh her mother looked over to Kagome's grandfather. "Isn't that right?"

"That is right, I have already sealed the well and it won't be opened until we are satisfied that your grades are improving. Until then, you will remain here with us." He stood up a little straighter and crossed his arms.

"This isn't fair, how can you do this to me? I haven't been playing when I go to the feudal era! I've been collecting jewel shards to help restore the jewel of four souls!" Kagome practically spit out at her family. "You can't just make me stop going, what about Inuyasha? He'll come through the well sooner or later and drag me back there wither you like it or not." She smiled to herself and hoped that he would show up soon and whisk her back to the feudal era to her friends and her adopted pup. 'Soon Inuyasha, please get here soon.'

"We have prepared for that, which is why we're sending you to live with a friend of the family's in America." Her mother sighed and looked at Kagome again. "She is a good friend and has a granddaughter about you're age. She should be able to help you out and keep you from shirking your school work to keep you're grades up."

"What? Your sending me to live with a complete stranger!" Kagome screeched before grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I won't go, in fact I think I'll stay in the feudal era from now on. Goodbye mother." Kagome rushed towards the well ignoring her mother's yelling and almost made it to the safety of the well. Except that Buyo wouldn't have anything to do with it and darted in front of her. Kagome tripped and fell flat on her face passing out from the weight of the bag crushing her. 'No Inuyasha where are you?' Was Kagome's last thought before succumbing to the inky blackness.

"Oh no Kagome are you alright?" Souta yelled as he ran to his sister's side. He quickly checked for her pulse. "She's ok, I guess she just passed out." He yelled back to his mother who was standing in the doorway looking like she had seen a ghost.

"Don't worry dear, she'll be safe now." Gramps told his daughter while placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She won't make the same mistake that you did when she was you're age." He then walked over to Kagome and Souta. "Souta, take her bag back inside and wait for your mother and I."

"Ok gramps, but what did you mean when you were talking to mom?" He asked as he started dragging the bag behind him.

"That is none of your concern Souta, your mother will tell you when she is ready." Gramps then sighed and kneeled down beside Kagome's unconscious form and waited for his grandson to retreat into the safety of the house.

"Father, should I tell her before she leaves?" Kagome's mom asked as she tentatively stepped onto the path towards her daughter.

"No you will tell her once she wakes up, until then pack what she will need for the next year. Don't worry, I will take care of her until she wakes up just help me get her inside." Gramps and his daughter dragged Kagome into the living room and placed her onto the couch. Kagome didn't wake up until the next day and was then stuffed into the car kicking and screaming. Her mother drove her to the airport and stopped the car in front of the building.

"Kagome I have something I need to tell you. Something about that well." Her mother tugged on the edge of her shirt and tried not to look at her daughter.

"Well mom are you going to tell me or sit here all day?" Kagome said, her nerves on edge from the impending flight.

"Kagome when I was your age I would play around that well and ignored all of gramps' warnings about it. One day I slipped and fell into it but when I managed to escape from it, I wasn't in the well house anymore. I was in a great forest, and soon I was surrounded by giant birds that resembled ravens. I was afraid and tried to escape but one of the birds grabbed me and flew me off to a great castle. I was so scared that I couldn't even speak, let alone walk. The birds dropped me off in a beautiful courtyard filled with every colored flower you can imagine. It was so beautiful I cried, I wanted so badly to gather those flowers and hide myself within them. But before I could move a man walked up to me. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His hair was as black as the feathers of the ravens which went to the middle of his back. His eyes were black as well, yet seemed to have a purple glow within them. He was tall, and well built. I thought that I had no right to lay my eyes upon this man. His hands ended in claws and I tried to get away as he reached for me. His hands were warm as he pulled me to my feet. I felt that he could have ripped me apart if he had wanted to, but he didn't. We walked around the courtyard and talked for what seemed like hours. I found out that his name was Phoenix and he ruled the Southern lands as his father once had. He was a Raven demon, yet I didn't seem to care. I told him about my home and myself, and he listened as if I were telling him a story that was to never end. I spent many years with him living happily and I didn't miss my family, I had him. We were married and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong. Then one day a great battle erupted between the south and the northern lands. He feared for my safety and flew me back to the well and told me that he would send for me once it was safe. I didn't know if he could but I still went anyways. The last thing I saw before I reached the bottom of the well was his face covered with sadness, then I was home.

My parents were ecstatic to see me unharmed and didn't seem to mind that I had been living in the past. I told them all about Phoenix and about his lands and family. My mother was happy that I had found a man and settled down, even if I had to leave again sooner or later. My father, gramps, sealed up that well and forbade me to ever return to the past. He was very upset that I had not heeded his warnings and gone into the past. Yet he still seemed envious that I had become a lady of the southern lands. Three months had passed and still no word had arrived from Phoenix asking for me back. All that time I believed that I was suffering from a broken heart, until my mother took me to the doctor and I received the good news." Kagome's mother sighed and smiled a bit. "I was carrying his child, you Kagome. I was so ecstatic that I couldn't wait to tell my father. I was even about ready to jump back down that well and tell Phoenix myself. My parents convinced me to wait until after you were born to go back down the well and tell my husband. When you were five I left you with my mother and went back down that well. My father didn't know that I had gone, so my mother broke the news to him after I was gone.

After I got out of the well, I found one of Phoenix's vassals waiting for me. Apparently he had been trying to send me a message for quite some time now. His vassal took me back to the castle and into his waiting arms. The war had taken a toll on him and I could see how tired he seemed. I told him the good news and I spent the next year and a half with him, and not one day went by when I wondered about you. It seemed too soon when I told him I needed to go back home. I was once again carrying his child. Sadly he flew me to the well and I never wanted to leave him again, but I needed to get home to you. I'll never forget his face on that day as I jumped through that well for the last time.

My father was waiting for me when I arrived, he sealed up the well once again and locked up the well house and rushed me back inside to where my mother was waiting. We talked well into the night about what my life had become and that I must never return to the past. My children needed to be raised in the present, for their sakes. I agreed and four months later I gave birth to you're brother Souta."

"Aw mom I really didn't need to know that." Kagome groaned.

"Well after Souta was born, I couldn't travel through the well anymore. I was heartbroken that I would never see Phoenix again. I spent many nights crying myself to sleep. After your eighth birthday my mother died and I told myself that I would raise you without telling you about your father, until you were ready."

"You're telling me I'm a half demon!" Kagome growled at her mother.

"Yes, but my mother sealed away yours and Souta's demonic sides when you were still very young. I raised you to think you were just human children, but it seems that I failed. You turned out to be the reincarnation of a priestess, and the spell my mother put on Souta and you seems to be fading. Soon your demon side will emerge, which is why I'm sending you to America. My friend went through the same thing as I did, only she was taken in by the Lord of the North. She still doesn't know that I went back without her a second time. Her daughter's demonic side was also sealed away, but the spell started to decay on her tenth birthday. I'm not sure how much of it remains, just stick close to her and you should be able to take care of each other." Kagome's mother handed her a plane ticket. "You're flight leaves in an hour, I suggest you hurry." Kagome didn't say a word as she collected her luggage and walked inside. Her mind was trying to comprehend the information her mother had told her. She was still deep in thought as she boarded her plane and took her seat. The eighteen hour flight didn't help her any, and once she arrived and got off the plane it seemed like nothing would be the same again. Kagome's eyes scanned the busy terminal and rested on a cardboard sign that read –Kagome-. She rolled her eyes and walked over to the girl who was holding it, and looked her over. Her crimson hair went to her shoulders and her skin was a sickly pale. Her eyes were a grayish blue with a golden ring peeking out from around her pupil. Kagome smirked and stood up a little straighter. 'I'm way more good looking then this girl. After all, I'm the daughter of the South, and she's the daughter of the North. Aren't we supposed to be enemies?' Kagome walked over to the girl.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

"I'm Kagome, I guess you're here to pick me up." Kagome stated. "I guess you can carry my things to the car." She then walked off towards the baggage claim with the girl following after her.

"My name's Sara, it's nice to meet you Kagome." Sara said as she grabbed some of Kagome's luggage ignoring the weight as she hefted them over her shoulder.

"Whatever, just don't drop my stuff." Kagome huffed and followed the girl outside to a green Jeep Grand Cherokee, where she just tossed her stuff into the backseat and trunk. "Hey you're gonna break my stuff!" Kagome growled and put her bag into the back before getting into the passenger seat.

"Just buckle up and hold on." Sara said before starting the jeep and driving back home. Kagome just stared out the window at the scenery until they arrived at her house. It was a moderate sized house, four rooms three baths, and painted a pale green. It was a split level and didn't look to bad, unless you were Kagome and hated everything about her new family.

"What's wrong with your house?" Kagome said as she grabbed her luggage and followed Sara inside.

"Nothing I think it's a nice house." Sara plainly said as she walked in and took Kagome's things to the guest room. Kagome just stood in the living room and closed the door behind her. The inside of the house sensed faintly of magic and Kagome knew why. She took off her shoes and then followed the girl to her new room and sighed as she looked it over. It was smaller then her old room and the walls were painted a pale aqua as was the carpet. The bedspread was a dark green with small red designs that ran all over it. The closet was small and she had to put most of her things in the brown dresser in the corner. Sara left Kagome to her thoughts and to unpack. Most of Kagome's things remained in the suitcases under her bed. Kagome sighed and shut the door before laying on the bed and decided that maybe it wasn't so bad here. Except for the fact that she was living in America away with her friends, and with the heir to the northern lands. "I wonder what Inuyasha is doing right now?" Kagome whispered to herself as she stared at the ceiling.

Sara stood outside of Kagome's door and frowned a bit. 'Who is Inuyasha? Why is this one person making her so unhappy? Is she in love, or is she engaged to him? Maybe I shouldn't try to intervene in her affairs, I should just leave her alone until she settles in.' Sara reached to the top of her head as she dropped the spell surrounding her. She ran a hand over her fluffy ears before sighing and walking into her room to figure things out.