The year is 1997; the year the manga came out. This was written at the same time as the GMDDN prompt on Saturday. July 15th, 2012. The prompts were Salty Dog, Spirited Punch, Hurricane, Ruby Dutchess, Hiram Walker, and Monkey Fizz. This oneshot was influenced by “Friends on the Other Side” from Disney’s “Princess and the Frog”. I do not own Rumiko Takahashi's characters, nor to I make a profit.
‘Oh, why did I take that bet?’
Kagome Higurashi was a student of good grades. She enjoyed school, hanging out with friends, and helping out with her family’s shrine. Though, now there wasn’t much school left. Therewere only a few weeks left. The young girl was thinking about getting a summer job. After all, she was 17 now. She would still make sure she had time for the miko training Grandpa was having her do. He told her the Higurashi women have always been the more spirited and needed to keep up with their training. Kagome never understood the big deal though. She didn’t think she had any powers to speak of. She was just a normal girl.
The alarm went off, and soon she was ready to go to school. Taking the bus, it didn’t take long for her to get to school. Stepping in front of the entrance, she saw her friends Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. Waving, she ran right over.
“Hey, guys! Excited about the end of the year?” Kagome’s eyes widened then. Her friends had that excited look in their eyes. That was never a good look for Kagome. It usually included Hojo. Surprisingly, they pulled out a flyer. Kagome eyed it cautiously though, not sure what to expect.
“A summer trip to Louisiana, US?”
“Remember how our English teacher said he always wanted to go? Well, he found out a way to make it a way to learn about an interested culture that was even different from the culture,” said Eri.
Kagome sweatdropped. ‘He sure wanted to go there,’ thought Kagome.
“We were thinking how we all should go,” said Yuka.
Kagome quickly felt nervous about the idea. “I don’t know you guys.”
“Oh, come on! It won’t be as fun without you,” coaxed Yuka again.
Seeing the looks in her friends’ eyes, Kagome knew they wouldn’t let off until she said what they wanted to hear. They really wanted her to come. Maybe it would be fun. She had been saving up money over the last couple of summers from other temp jobs. It should help pay from the trip.
“All right. I’ll come along.”
They simultaneously hugged their friend. The young woman only hoped she made the right decision.
….
Kagome hoped that most of the flight she could sleep, but that wasn’t happening. Everyone going on the trip was so excited, there was no way sleep would be accomplished. So instead, they had a discussion on how it would have been neat to have gone by sea. It would have been longer, but none of them had ever been on a boat for long.
Ayumi giggled. “We could have pretended to be salty dogs. You know, sailors.”
All four had a good laugh at trying to pretend to be sailors, which turned more pirate-like by the minute.
…
After the plane landed, they didn’t get to see any sites at that moment. Everyone went directly to their hotel rooms. Kagome and friends were able to get a room for all of them. They all crashed on their beds, unable to continue staying up another moment.
The next day, they all had breakfast in the downstairs dining area of the hotel. While there, their teacher gave each student a map. On the map were the places recommended to visit, location of the hotel, etc. Kagome was glad to get one. She wondered how they were to keep up with everyone and find their way back. After the instruction and safety tips, they were allowed to go venture off.
The place was amazing! Everywhere the group of friends turned, there was something new to behold. The best part was the Music District. All the music and excitement clung to them. Even Kagome couldn’t keep from its charm. She got a strange feeling from the place she was in. It was a feeling of something old and different to her. She just shoved it off as a new place feel. After a few hours, the four stopped at a cafe and ate lunch outside. Yuka’s face cracked into a large grin.
“Hey, we should go visit the swamp around here!”
“But Yuka, our teacher said to stay away from the swamps,” quietly exclaimed Ayumi.
“Aww, forget about that. Don't you think it would be cool? To see the alligators and snakes that live out there?”
“I don’t know, Yuka,” said Eri.
“I have to agree,” replied Kagome. “We’re more likely to get hurt.”
“What was that, Kagome? Chicken?” Yuka grinned more.
“No! I just think we shouldn’t go in there.”
“So, you would walk into the swamps and stay in there for 10 minutes?”
The other two stayed out of this conversation.
Kagome frowned. “Yuka, I just said we shouldn’t-”
“Hah! So you ARE chicken!”
Kagome closed her eyes, feeling a headache coming on. Her eye twitched. If she went in, maybe she could get the idea out of Yuka’s head and they could go on with seeing everything else in New Orleans in peace. Eyebrow twitching, she replied.
“All right, Yuka. I’ll take your bet.”
“Tonight then.”
….
Kagome groaned. The place not only gave her the creeps, but she was sure she was lost. What’s worse is that her friends Yuka and Eri were probably drunk off that Ruby Dutchess stuff Yuka snagged somehow. ‘I guess Yuka is old enough here, as she is 18. Still, how could she thinking of drinking when they are waiting for me to come back. How long has it been now?’ Holding her flashlight to her watch, she realized it had been 20 minutes since she walked into the swamp. She groaned again.
“Here I am in the middle of a bet, lost in a swamp, which smells and has mean critters in it. Why did I think this was a good idea again?”
Her head jolted up then. She could see light ahead of her. “Oh good! A way out!”
Racing towards the light, she tripped over a root. She was able to keep from falling, but she reminded herself to watch the ground. Walking again, she got herself through the shrubbery. Well, it wasn’t a way out. It was someone’s house. It looked rickety, but someone had to live there. There was a lantern hanging up.
“Maybe they’ll know the way back.” Shakily, she stepped forward to the house. Something didn’t feel right about the place. Everything in her was telling her to run, but run where? She had no idea where she was! Sucking it up, she made it up the rotting step and knocked on the door.
The door creaked open slightly. Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin at the golden eye looking at her.
“Yes? What brings you to my home?”
“Uh...H-Hello,” Kagome struggled through her English. “I-I’m Kagome Higurashi. I kinda got lost out here. Do you think you can direct me b-back to the city?”
The man opened the door more. He was dressed better than his home. The clean and strange blue clothes weren’t what made Kagome’s eyes widen. It was the long white hair on a man who looked nowhere near old age. He had strange markings on his face and a top hat on his head. ‘A top hat? You only see those in history books.’
“Better yet, I’ll show you. Please, do come in while I get prepared.”
Opening the door wide enough, Kagome was in the door before thinking. It wasn’t until the door shut behind her that she thought of her stupidity. ‘Stupid, Kagome! You should have stayed outside. Going outside now, though, would be rude. He may take it wrong. Next time though, don’t let an unusual looking person surprise you!’
Already, she was regretting it. On the wall were some of the scariest things she saw. Animal skulls and strange decorations adorned the walls. On the walls..was that dried blood? The place smelled of something rotting.
The man waved at a chair. “Please, have a seat.”
Kagome sat down, gulping. “Excuse me, how long will it take you? If it’ll be easier on you, you could just give me directions.”
He grabbed a bag off a shelf and walked over to what looked like a fireplace.
“Oh, but I am.”
That’s when she saw them. He smiled, showing fangs. Opening the bag, he flung the contents into the fireplace, making a green flame ride out of it. It raged and felt like the heat immediately filled the room. Images started to fill the smoke that came out of the flame. They showed their location, the swamp. It was showing a map on how to get back! Still, it took everything for Kagome not to scream in both awe and fright. Her shaking got stronger. This was the bad feeling she felt. What was wrong about this though? He was showing her the right way out.
“Thank you so much. I should be getting back, so my friends aren’t worried.” She was about to get up when his next words came out.
“And what will you exchange for this information?”
“Wh-What?...Well, if you want money, I guess I can give you that.”
The man shook his head, getting closer. “I need something more valuable. A precious item. A favor?”
As he came closer to her, the dark feelings she got from him rose stronger. Never did she feel something so dark. In quick movements, he started circling around her. It was hard for her to keep up. Then, she could feel him right behind her, face near her head. Without thinking, she held to herself, shutting her eyes.
“Stay away from me!”
Right then, a power she had never thought would happen poured forth from her. A warm, comforting energy surrounded her like a hurricane. Kagome opened her eyes and turned her head, seeing the man trying to hold his ground against her. His eyes were red now. When he looked like he was gaining against her power, she pushed her hands out in towards him, as if that would keep him away. The energy centered around her hand and slammed right into the man. Flying into the wall, he writhed in pain. At that moment, Kagome watched as a shadowy figure flew out of the man’s body. The horrific shadow looked at her with no eyes she could see.
“That’s a spirit punch.” It made a scream so high pitch, Kagome had to hold her hands over her ears as it left the house.
Then, the energy lowered in the house. Kagome began to relax, and the power from within her receded. Looking down at her hands, she wasn't’ sure what to do.
“What-What just happened?”
A groan came from the other side of the room. “Oh, that man!”
Running to him, she knelt beside him. The marks were still there. His hat was off, and she could see pointed ears. But, the energy she sensed before—this was different. It didn’t feel dark and evil like the last. ‘Whatever he is, I don't think he’s dangerous.”
“Are you alright?”
“It’s gone. It’s finally gone...” The man looked up at her, his eyes golden again. “I’ve been waiting for years to be free of that thing. Many people came here. None had ever been able to get away from it. I couldn’t—I’ve never had such lack in control.” The man raised his hand in a fist and stared at it.
“I am never coming back to this land again! I’m going back to Japan, where I belong!”
“You’re from Japan too?” Kagome was surprised.
The man returned his gaze to her. “You’re a miko, aren’t you? You are most powerful. Maybe even more powerful than I, since I couldn’t have-” He tried to get up, but fell back to the floor. Kagome put a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t get up just yet. Just rest.”
“I want to get out of this damn place! Why am I still so weak?!”
Kagome thought long and hard. Finally, she stood up, holding a hand out to him. “Come on. I’ll help you out of here. I’ll get you back to the city. I’ll take you somewhere you can get rest.”
The man hesitated, but took her hand. Helping him up, he ended up leaning his weight on her. It was hard to keep him up, but Kagome kept at it. Remembering the path the ‘thing’ suggested, she took it. While she didn’t trust whatever that was, somehow what he had shown felt like the right way. Slowly, they crept through the swamp. She wanted to know what happened to this man. Who was he...? She would wait though. He needed rest. She could seek answers afterward.
‘Well,’ she thought, ‘I didn’t find any snakes or alligators.’
….
Kagome brought himback to the hotel room. There, she found her three friends. They ran at her; two ran more slobbishly than the other.
“Kagome! We were so worried! We called the police, but they said they would go out in the swamps after they were done trying to break up a fight near here! Thank goodness you’re all right,” said Ayumi.
“Where were you? Who’s this g-o-uy?” Yuka then hiccuped. In her hand was now a bottle with ‘Hiram Walker’ the only words not covered up.
“Nevermind all that right now. This man needs rest. He can take my bed. I’ll take the chair. Ayumi, please call the police back and say I’m all right. You two...Just try to sober up? Please?”
Kagome brought the man to her bed. He slid off her and onto the bed immediately. She helped him into a more comfortable position. She asked if he needed anything, and he shook his head.
“All right. May I at least have your name?”
“...Sesshomaru. It’s Sesshomaru.” Then, he passed out.
Kagome walked over to the chair in the corner, slumping into it. She sighed heavily and held her head. What was she going to tell her friends? All the time she was walking, she couldn’t come up with a reason. There was just no way to say a shadow thing has come out of the guy after she shot him with pink lasers without sounding crazy. It was still hard for her to even understand it!
Instead of worrying about it at the moment, she looked around the room. There were so many type of liquors! The two who had been drunk were now passed out on their beds.
“Did they drink all of these? How’d they get back here?”
Ayumi shook her head. “It wasn’t easy. You should have seen when they hit the Monkey Fizz stuff. They were swinging from street poles and shouting...Well, I don’t care to repeat...”
Kagome commented. “Well, at least you were the responsible one, Ayumi.”
Ayumi smiled. “I don’t like the idea of drinking. Besides, I wanted to make sure everyone was all right. I’m sorry that Yuka pushed until you took her bet. I should have said-”
“Don’t say sorry. I shouldn’t have taken her up on it. But still...” She looked over at the man, and finally came up with something. “He was more lost than I was. I’m glad I was able to help someone.”
Kagome wasn’t sure what would happen tomorrow. Whatever it was, she sure hoped it would be nothing like this night.