To Speak Treason Fluently by Electric Pegasus

The Trouble With Owning a Cat

My first Inuyasha fanfic...my first attempt at actually finishing a fic also. This story was inspired by an old movie I saw, which was inspired by a popular tale. Bonus points to those who can guess the widely known tale! This sort of takes place like the original i.e. present to the past in Japan, but that's where the similarity ends time-wise. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father is still alive in this, but neither mothers are. There is a war going on in China that their father has volunteered his services toward, so you won't be seeing a lot of him. Also, for now, Inuyasha still lives with his father and brother. I'll let you infer the rest.

Definitions:

Kanpaku-chief adviser

Uesama-emperor or shogun

***

The calico's tail jolted right and left as a small rodent continued to munch on some stale crumbs, unconcerned, a few feet away. The cat lifted its rump, wiggling it in anticipation of the kill. The mouse raised its nose, whiskers twitching as it finally noticed the threat. Eyes widening as its position was discovered, the cat sprang forward, trying to track its prey as it scurried off into the dark building. The cat followed, squeezing through a small hole in the side with an audible pop! A loud crash was heard ten seconds later.

A young miko paused in sweeping the premises and looked towards the well house in concern. Her brother came rushing up next to her, a soccer ball held at his hip.

"What was that? It sounded like the building collapsed!" the nine year old exclaimed in awe as he stared at the well house. The girl pursed her lips and looked to her younger brother in annoyance.

"I doubt it was that serious, Souta. Stay here, I'll go check on it," the fifteen year old responded, propping her broom against the house and striding towards the well house.

"But Jii-chan said that we shouldn't go in there, Kagome! Didn't you pay any attention to all those stories he told? There are demon bones in that well...they might attack you!" Souta cried out as he ran after her, not wanting to be far from her, despite the scary building. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"The only reason we shouldn't go in there is because it might fall down around us. Stupid, dilapidated shack...besides, Souta, bones can't attack you. They are already dead." This was said as Kagome opened the creaky door. She shivered discreetly; she always got creeped out when she was near this building. "I'm serious, Souta. Stay here while I check it out. I don't want Mama to lose two kids when this building collapses." She peered into the darkness, the doorway lending the only source of light. Dust was puffed up in the middle of the small shack. Looking closer, Kagome saw the wooden structure of the well, now sans wooden lid.

"How did that happen?" Kagome muttered to herself as she crept closer.

"What do you see, Kagome? Well monsters?" Souta asked as he peered into the door frame. Kagome sighed as she walked down the four steps and approached the well.

"No, Souta. There is no such thing as 'well monsters,' the lid just collapsed." She peered into the well, squinting as she saw movement at the bottom. She sweatdropped as she realized what happened. "Buyo decided to destroy more property. Jii-chan is going to kill him one day."

Buyo peered up at Kagome and meowed plaintively. It wasn't his fault; the mouse was sitting so innocently on the lid, teasing him with its athleticism. If the wooden lid could hold a fat mouse, then why couldn't it hold a skinny kitty like himself? His theory proved wrong when it collapsed as soon as he put his full weight on the cover. It didn't help that the mouse darted off before that happened. Why couldn't he be stuck down here with the rodent instead of a bunch of dusty bones? Kagome sighed as she saw her fat cat trying unsuccessfully to climb up the moldy walls.

"Souta, get me a flashlight and some rope. Buyo is stuck in the well," Kagome requested as she rolled up her miko sleeves. The boy nodded and ran off to get the materials.

"What made you think you could catch anything, Buyo? You have a hard enough time getting exercise, let alone a mouse," Kagome murmured as she gazed affectionately at the obese calico ten feet down. Buyo raised his nose into the air haughtily, not liking the way she chastised him. She started as her brother came back, the doorframe rattling at the unexpected bump of his halt.

"I got the stuff, nee-chan!" he exclaimed excitedly. He rushed down the stairs, thrilled at finally being inside the old shed. "Here you go!" Kagome tied the rope tightly to a pillar that held up the staircase and threw the other end over the well.

"I want you to shine the flashlight down the well as I climb in there and get him. I can't hold that, Buyo, and the rope," Kagome instructed as she stood on the lip of the well, rope in hand. Taking a deep breath, she jumped in fearlessly. Blue light flashed around her, so brightly that she closed her eyes. Her feet touching the ground, Kagome gritted her teeth.

"Don't shine it in my eyes, Souta! Shine it on my path!" Kagome yelled up in irritation. Upon receiving no apology, the girl glanced up. Her eyes widened as she saw the bright sky above her. "Souta?! Are you Ok? Did the roof collapse?! Souta?!" Kagome called up worriedly. Her teeth chewed on the inside of her lower lip as she was met with no response. She looked around the small space of the well, seeing bones of animals she didn't even recognize. Bones, but no Buyo. Her brows furrowed. "Souta, is Buyo up there? Throw down the rope, please!" She started to get scared. What if Souta was knocked unconscious and in need of medical attention? Spurred on by her anxiety, she grabbed onto the vines she never noticed before now and climbed up the well slowly. 'I wish my arm muscles were stronger than this,' Kagome reflected as she finally reached the lip. Clambering over the edge, she jerked her head around quickly, searching for her injured brother.

Her breath got caught up in her throat. A tranquil forest surrounded her, birds chirping merrily as a warm breeze blew through her hair. This was not her well house at home. Her eyes started to brim with tears as she realized that she was nowhere near home. The air smelled too clean to be in the middle of Tokyo. She gulped as she gripped the well lip tightly. How did she get here? Where was here?

Taking another deep breath to get a hold of her fears, Kagome resolved to find a way out of this. She glanced around, searching for a path close to this clearing. She spotted one that headed into the forest. Wherever it led was better than hanging around the well waiting for someone to find her. She marched resolutely down the trail; she wasn't going to be a victim. Fifteen minutes brought her out of the forest and on top of a hill, looking down onto a village. Kagome furrowed her brow again. These people looked like they didn't even have electricity. The houses looked as simple as her well house at home, there were no cars, and farm animals abounded. How did she get into the countryside? Kagome shrugged her shoulders; it wasn't her place to judge how a person lived. She was just grateful that she lived in the city with all its conveniences. She treaded down the hill excitedly; perhaps they have a phone so that she could call home.

Walking past the rice fields towards the huts, she looked over her shoulders uneasily. People were stopping what they were doing as they watched her walk by, some even going as far as to follow her. She chewed on her bottom lip again as she approached the village.

"Um, does anyone have a phone that I might use?" Kagome asked to no one in general as she reached the middle of the community, people standing all around her. At their blank stares, she started to get nervous. "Um..."

"Step aside, step aside!" an old woman's voice reached her ears, and Kagome turned around to find the source. A short, hunched over woman separated from the group that surrounded her and approached Kagome. "Tell me, child, what is yer purpose for traveling to our village?"

Taken aback slightly by her olden accent, Kagome responded hesitantly, "I got lost. I was wondering if I could use your phone to call home, please." She bowed at her request and looked at the older woman in hope. The one in question creased her forehead in confusion.

"I am Kaede, the village's miko. Judging by yer dress, I would say ye were a miko of yer village as well. I'm afraid I don't know what a foen is, but we will try to help ye back to yer village," Kaede comforted. Kagome's jaw dropped as distress clouded her eyes.

***

A dark man observed as a moth flew around his room, hesitantly flying towards the one candle that glowed in front of him. Closer and closer it came, hypnotized by the bright light. The man smirked as the moth was just inches away. The insect attempted to land on the light source and got burned trying. It frantically flew off, but its whole body burned up a few seconds later. Its ashy remains littered the floor as the man stared. His smile widened at the result. It was so amusing to watch lesser beings and their struggles in life. Life itself was so poetic. He found it amusing how Nature strived to be near the light, to be a part of it, yet got burned for its efforts. It just went to prove that the world was doomed to forever be in darkness. Nature can strive all it wants, darkness would eventually overcome.

There was a quiet tap at the shoji door, then it proceeded to slide open. The dark-haired man gazed at the woman knelt before him, bowed with her forehead touching the wooden floor.

"Did my Lord make it safely to the port?" he inquired as he looked down his nose at her. The woman raised her head and regarded the ruby-eyed man in front of her, nodding affirmatively. "And did you stay and make sure that my Lord was safely on the boat headed for the mainland?" Again, a confirmatory nod answered him. He smiled as he saw things were starting to fall into place. "Kagura, I wish to make it be known to all the daimyou under my new rule that the taxes have just been raised higher in order to...accommodate my Lord's war necessities."

Kagura bowed again and proceeded to leave before his voice stopped her. "And Kagura, I wish to see the turnover immediately."

"As you command, Lord Naraku," was the faint reply as the shoji screens slid shut behind her.

***

Sesshoumaru watched as the wind demoness departed from the room of Lord Naraku, High Kanpaku of the Inu no Taisho and current ruler in the Lord's absence. He scoffed as he recalled the conversation he had just overheard. Sesshoumaru had no idea how his father, the High Uesama of the Western Lands, could not see through the pitiful hanyou's disguise. It was obvious where Naraku's loyalties lie, and yet his father still valued the dirty half-breed's opinion above all others.

With a graceful turn, the young prince headed towards his wing, wishing to mull over the problem at hand in a more secluded environment. If only he were a few decades older, then he wouldn't even be having this problem. Naraku would have been pushed down in his rank, serving the young prince instead. Sesshoumaru grinned in confidence on the inside, only his sun kissed eyes showing the emotion. He would have had Naraku cast out the moment he was given the office. Such disregard for the people under his rule is not the mentality he would have valued in his consultative circle. As he was reaching for the shoji screen that would lead him to his room, his nose picked up a detested scent heading his way.

"Kami damn courtiers! It's been five days since father left and already they are showing blatant disrespect!" Another silver-haired youth stormed through the hallway, grimacing as he caught sight of his half-brother. Sesshoumaru lifted a brow haughtily and sneered at his younger, mixed-blood brother.

"You were always disrespected, Inuyasha. I don't see why it should change now that there is a hanyou in charge," the elder informed. Inuyasha growled at Sesshoumaru and responded, "Yeah, but at least they did it discreetly so I didn't have to listen to all their whining. Now, they complain about me when I'm in deliberate eyesight."

"I would rather know who my enemies are than suspect every stranger," Sesshoumaru imparted before sliding his door open and closing it behind him, effectively ending his contact with his soiled relative. He settled himself on top of his tatami mat and leaned against the wall. There had to be someway that he himself could apprehend the rule of the kingdom so that it didn't go into disarray. A filthy half-breed was not fit to rule his father's land, especially one that didn't care one way or the other about it. Only a strong, level-headed demon could handle that responsibility, and Sesshoumaru highly doubted that Naraku qualified for the challenge. The silver-haired prince sneered, 'Heck, my half-twit brother could probably do it better.'

***

Kagome woke to the smell of green tea wafting in the stale air. She blinked several times before glancing to her right. Her brows furrowed as she saw an open fire not but three feet from where she lie. Kagome suddenly gasped and sat up straight as the events from the last few hours rushed to the forefront of her mind. Though, she didn't really remember fainting. The sound of shifting cloth brought her attention to Kaede sitting a few feet away with a pestle and mortar in hand.

"I see ye are awake, child. I apologize if what I said distressed ye. I was not aware that my pronouncement would bring on such a violent reaction," the older woman apologized while peering carefully at the younger woman with her one good eye. Kagome flushed slightly before responding politely.

"I don't normally pass out like that. In fact, I don't remember ever fainting. It was just a surprise to me, what it was that you said. I fear you revealed to me that I'm farther from home than I originally thought, and I don't likely know how to get back," Kagome tried to explain as delicately as possible. She didn't want to be declared nuts by a village of antiquated thinkers. Kaede hummed quietly to herself as she thought over the girl's situation.

"Are ye not aware of how ye got here? The way ye came is usually the way back," the older miko advised. Kagome scrunched her face; she seriously didn't understand how she even got here! She risked a quick glance Kaede's way, wondering if she could trust the woman enough to explain where she came from. The girl shrugged, any support she could get would help. She only hoped that it didn't hinder her instead of assisting.

Chewing her bottom lip tentatively, Kagome preceded to explain her appearance into this...world. "Do you know of a well nearby in the forest?"

"Aye, that is the Bone Eater's Well. We use it to dump the remains of the demons we have disposed of that come to attack our village. It gives no water, though. I hope ye didn't try retrieving some from there. The well has a strange energy around it, I would advise ye to stay away from it," Kaede shared to the young miko.

"Oh, well, now that would just be a contradiction of what you told me earlier. You see," Kagome braced herself for any denials that would be flung her way, "I came from the well." It was silent for a few moments. So much so that the miko from the future started to fidget with her sleeve while she stared at Kaede, who was keeping a steady gaze into the fire.

After a prolonged silence, Kaede turned her gaze to Kagome and calmly commented, "Twas even stranger than we here imagined." Kagome cracked a half smile at the older woman's attempt of a joke. "I really don't know how I got here. One minute I'm sweeping the shrine grounds, the next minute I hear a crash in the well caused by my cat. When I went to rescue him, I was here." The teenager looked into the fire worriedly as she chewed lightly on her lip. She was startled as she felt Kaede put a hand on her shoulder.

"There is usually a reason for everything, my child. If the kami deemed it twas necessary to bring ye here, then perhaps ye should spend less time thinking about how to get home, and more on yer purpose here." Kagome furrowed here brow while she stared at Kaede.

"But I don't know why I was brought here. And I really can't stop worrying about my family. Will I ever see them again? Do they even know I'm gone? What if it's like I've never even been born?" the teenaged miko fretted as she looked to Kaede desperately for answers. A gentle smile was all she got from the old miko.

"I hardly think it's as bad as ye imagine. Do ye know of anyone else who is able to do as ye were able to do? Come into another place and have the powers ye have?" Kaede stared at Kagome hard, as if trying to impress upon her the importance that her arrival signaled. "I have long felt the winds of unrest travel these lands. Yet, just looking at ye has calmed my tensions a great deal. Worry not of what Fate has cheated ye of, and more on what Fate has gifted ye. I believe ye are lucky enough to have the best of both worlds," the older miko comforted with a twinkle in her eye at her double connotation. Kagome felt her apprehension ease as the words the elder spoke to her flowed through her mind.

'She's right. There are no repercussions back where I come from. I'm here because I was meant to be and I have powers...' Kagome furrowed her brow at that part. "Wait, powers? I don't have any abilities. Where would you get an idea like that?" Kaede smiled serenely at her young responsibility.

"Ye are a miko, are ye not?" Kagome flushed at the old woman's assumptions.

"Well, yeah, but where I come from, that is merely a title. There are no special powers that come along with it." Kaede hummed lightly to herself as Kagome was soon learning she did that only when she thought the answer was obvious and she wanted to give Kagome time to figure it out. Kagome sweatdropped. 'There's nothing to figure out! I don't have special abilities. Period.' The young girl sat there with a pout on her face as she stared into the fire, refusing to let Kaede think she had one up on her. The old woman frowned at the girl's stubbornness to submit. She heaved a sigh before proceeding to enlighten her.

"Child, I felt yer power as soon as ye entered this world. Ye have a strong purity about yer soul that I have yet to see in anyone. Not to mention yer soul is one of the largest I have yet to encounter. Do not doubt yer abilities merely because everyone else is blind to them. Believe in yerself, and ye will be unshakable in many ways." Kagome smiled at Kaede in wonder. This woman always seemed to know what to say. It was an amazing talent to say the least. She glanced at the wise miko curiously.

"What is it child?"

"Umm," Kagome again fiddled with her sleeve. "Do you have special abilities?" Kaede smiled, but it was somewhat sadly.

"Not like ye. Most miko do not have such corporal purifying powers as ye have. Yet, we are very well versed in plant lore, prayers, and ofudas. We are more of the healing and helping sort. Ye are different, in a way that make youkai tremble. Where as most miko can bind, hold, or deflect youki, ye have the power to destroy them. There are not many like ye in this day of war and strife, especially in these lands. I feel blessed and privileged by the kami that ye are here." Kagome looked away guiltily.

"But I don't know how to call these powers forth. I never even knew I had them until today," Kagome explained to Kaede, trying to prevent Kaede from having too high expectations of her. The wizened miko smiled sagely.

"Ye are an untrained miko. Obviously, wherever ye come from doesn't know how to properly guide one of yer talent. Worry not, though I don't have personal experience, I still know how to center and direct one's soul. That is the foundation to all further enlightenment. Shall we start now?" Kaede asked as she sat down and crossed her legs Indian style. Kagome furrowed her brows and averted her eyes towards the window.

"You know, I wouldn't mind taking a walk first. I need to think a little and clear my head," she said as she stood up and dusted off her hakama. Kaede stood up as well and headed toward the doorway.

"Take these with ye. It can be a dangerous world out there, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I were to let ye leave without protection," she stated as she handed Kagome a bow and a quiver of arrows. "I trust ye know how to use them." This she ended with a wink, but Kagome was unsure, seeing as a plain black patch covered her other eye. The young girl smiled kindly and nodded her head affirmatively.

"I was taught archery when I was seven years old and haven't stopped practicing since. It's was always a great stress relieving activity for me." This was said as she fondly ran her hands along the bow's upper limb. Kaede grunted, "Well, here it's used for preservation." Kagome bowed her thanks and left for a short walk towards a nearby stream, most probably the village's water supply. She followed it for a few minutes, even when it left the safety of the open fields and curious stares of the villagers. She gazed in awe at the forest around her, noting the clean smell and the absence of planes in the sky. She stuck to the stream, knowing that she only had to follow it back in order to find her way to Kaede's.

She had walked leisurely for an hour, stopping now and then to enjoy the world around her as she thought of her predicament. She decided that she would ask Kaede to teach her about her so called powers today before heading back to the well to try her luck at getting home. She only hoped that she could get through as easily as she got here. Kagome anticipated that after studying a couple of key miko skills, it would be easier for her to return home. With a resolute nod of her head and a lighter heart, Kagome turned around to retreat to the hut in which Kaede awaited her. She abruptly ran into an impediment and fell flat on her butt.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A roguish male voice diverted Kagome from her stinging tailbone to the man standing above her. Her eyes widened as they took in the red irises, pointed ears, and lusty smile that showed off sharp incisors. She hesitated a second before scurrying to get her bow and arrow aimed at the ill-intentioned demon. Unfortunately, that moment of hesitation was all he needed to quickly take hold of the situation. Kagome squirmed and clawed at his arm fruitlessly as he raised her by her neck.

"Now what's a pretty little thing like you doing this far from the protection of the village? Don't you know there are dangerous demons about, ravenous for sweet flesh such as yours?" the demon teased as he eyed her body hungrily. "If it weren't for the fact that you were a miko, I would take such great pleasure in showing you the ways in which I yearn for such a treat." He ended with a deliberate swipe of his tongue along his lips. Kagome didn't know whether to interpret it as a hunger for food or lust, though she wished it was neither. She merely stared fearfully as he drew out her fate. He sneered and moved his thumb to a part of her neck, pressing hard. Her world went black as she felt him swinging her over his shoulders.