The Higurashi shrine was one of Lyra's most favourite places to visit. The history behind it was always so fascinating to her and no matter what the season was, the scenery was breathtaking. Not to mention the people who lived in the house there. Kagome and Sota are Lyra's cousins. Their mother and Lyra's father are siblings so they would visit the shrine often, even more so after Kagome's father passed away. She loved listening to Grandpa's stories and thought he was so full of wisdom. If she didn't know his real age, she would have thought he was 200 years old. He was pretty cool though.

Although Lyra was 20 and Kagome only 15, they were really close. They grew up to be more like best friends though Kagome would often look up to Lyra as an older sister. Lyra was a few inches taller than Kagome and they shared the same black hair, the only difference being that Lyra's hair was parted to the side and it was more wavy. Her eyes stood out the most, the bright blue colour contrasting against her dark hair. She was a bit more filled out as well, but was still modest in size with a smaller waist giving her an hourglass figure.

For the past 4 months, Lyra hadn't been able to visit due to the demand at work. She worked in a high end jewellery store and wasn't able to take any time off. She somehow managed to take off a Friday and Monday so she had a long weekend, just enough time for a surprise visit.

Lyra's father, Renji, had agreed to let her go on her own for the first time. Even though she was 20 and could drive, it was quite a long distance to travel. But luckily, Renji didn't give the secret away when he spoke to his sister on the phone. Lyra packed up and headed out after bidding her father farewell.

5 hours later, she parked on a quiet street not far from the house. Kagome should be home from school. She left her bags in the boot since she wouldn't be able to carry them up the secret path along the back of the house that she and Kagome discovered a few years ago. If she was going to surprise them, she was going to do it properly. The hill was quite steep and Lyra was thankful she decided to wear flats and skinny jeans rather than a dress. Once she reached the top, she pulled a few leaves off her fitted T-shirt and snuck to the back entrance of the house. She could hear her aunt calling Kagome and Sota to eat but Kagome was saying that she had to leave.

'Where is she going? She just got back from school.'

"Okay, Kagome. Be careful, okay?" Mama Higurashi said softly.

"And tell Inuyasha I said hi!" Sota yelled quickly after.

Lyra raised her brows. Kagome never told her she had a boyfriend. That's one thing she'll have to question later. Tiptoeing quietly, she went to the back door and opened it as slowly as possible. After taking her shoes off, she saw her aunt's back towards her in the kitchen. Standing up straight, she casually walked up behind her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Boo!"

Mama Higurashi yelped in surprise, almost dropping the ladle in her hand. Sota and Grandpa came running to see what was wrong only to witness Lyra laughing to herself.

"Lyra!" they all exclaimed in unison.

Her aunt composed herself before drawing her in for a hug before Lyra was glomped by Sota. She smiled and ruffled his hair before bowing in respect to Grandpa.

"This is such a nice surprise, Lyra," Mama said with a smile. "Renji never mentioned anything to me on the phone."

"It's been ages since I visited last so I wanted to surprise you all," she explained.

Her aunt laughed warmly. "It worked. You might as well join us for dinner. It's such a long journey."

"Ooh, I'd love to! But I want to see Kagome quickly. Where is she?"

Mama closed her eyes and smiled awkwardly. "Uh, she-"

"She just left," Grandpa quickly cut her off. "If you go now, you might be able to catch her. She's probably still in the courtyard."

"Great!"

Without wasting another second, she put on her shoes and ran out through the back to go around to the front. Mama looked at the Grandpa with a concerned frown.

"Grandpa, you know that Kagome's gone down the well so why are you sending Lyra out?" she asked.

The Grandpa closed his eyes and breathed out. "It is her destiny. Now, let's eat! I'm starving!"

Mama and Sota shared awkward glances. It was just one of those things that Grandpa wouldn't let them have a say on so they decided to keep quiet.

When Lyra jogged to the front of the house to the courtyard, there was no sign of Kagome anywhere. It was completely empty besides the ancient tree and the shrine. Pouting in defeat, she put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"That old man," she sighed.

Suddenly, she heard a noise come from the shrine. It sounded like someone dropped a metal bowl on the ground. A smirk made its way to her lips. Surely Kagome was hiding in there. Walking over to the shrine, she peeked her head around the corner of the entrance and looked into the darkness. She couldn't see anyone in there. Entering completely, she stood in front of the well before walking around it, expecting to see Kagome hiding on the other side of it. Alas, it was empty. Sighing quietly, she decided to head back inside before something stopped her mid step.

There was a low humming sound, sending chills up her spine. It sounded otherworldly, something you might hear whilst meditating. There was something about it that felt like it was a sound of the past. She looked towards the well and stepped closer, very slowly and cautiously peering over the edge. Her heartbeat quickened as the humming became louder in her ears and she couldn't seem to pull away as if an invisible force was stopping her from doing so. Placing her hands on the well, she gulped and bent over the edge to get a better look at what was down there.

Nothing. And suddenly the sound stopped.

Sighing loudly and rolling her eyes at her own foolishness, she looked down in the empty well.

"I'm such an idiot." She leaned her elbow on the edge and rested her chin in her hand, bending over the edge a bit more to get a better look. "Like there's going to be something hiding in this well."

Something suddenly made her freeze. Deep down in the depths of the well, she saw a flash of an image. A pair of golden coloured eyes. But the image lasted for just a split second and Lyra thought her mind was playing tricks on her. Her feet were now lifted off the ground as she tried to look deeper but her grip was strong enough. Or so she thought. It felt like a hand pushed against her back and she went falling into the well, screaming as she went down.

***

Lyra groaned as she woke, her head pounding. Holding her head, she slowly sat up and looked down at her dirty clothes. She couldn't remember how she fell into the well but she would definitely be telling Grandpa to put up a barrier for clumsy girls like her. She took out her phone from her pocket and checked the time. Apparently she had been down here for at least two hours.

"Haven't they wondered where I've gone?" she thought aloud. She dialled the house phone but it just beeped. "No signal."

She sighed and looked up, her eyes furrowing in confusion. She couldn't recall ever being able to see the sky from the shrine.

'Focus, Lyra. You need to get out of here.'

Standing up, she dusted herself off and turned on the spot to see if she could find anything to use to climb. The only option she had were vines that were growing all the way up to the top. Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she grabbed some of the vines and pulled on it hard to test the strength. It seemed secure enough. Bracing herself, she began climbing up on the vines.

"I'm so glad I decided to take advanced gym," she said to herself whilst keeping focused on the vines.

It took her a few minutes to get to the top. Gripping onto the edge of the well, she pulled herself up only to be completely shocked at what she came face-to-face with. Green hills, trees, rice fields, a village in the distance. Eyes wide, she ducked back down and closed her eyes tight, hoping she was just imagining things. Slowly, she pulled herself up again and opened her eyes only to be met with the same scenery.

"Holy crap where am I?!" she whispered in a panic.

Not being able to hold on for much longer, she had no choice but to exit the well completely. She was in complete horror at what she saw. How she had managed to travel to a village was beyond her. She began to think she hit her head too hard.

"This must be a dream. Or some cruel practical joke."

She took her phone out again and saw she still had no signal. Surely there must be some public transport around. She would have to go down to the village and ask them how to get to the nearest bus stop. Hesitantly, she walked away from the well and towards the village.

It seemed quite quaint and busy as she got closer. There were women dressed in traditional garb working in the fields, some with babies tied to their backs as they picked the rice and vegetables. She spotted men herding the cattle and digging to plant crops. The huts were made of straw and the doors and windows were covered with plain cloths. As she approached the village, she gained quite a bit of attention, perhaps due to her clothing. However, no one really questioned her as she entered.

The residents were going about their business, talking to their neighbours as children played merrily. She was hoping to find someone to approach but she didn't want to disturb anyone. Finally, she came across an elderly lady sitting at the doorstep of her hut. She seemed to be enjoying the joyful weather. One eye was covered with a patch and her grey hair was tied in a braid.

"Excuse me?" Lyra announced her presence as she went over to her.

The lady looked over at her, a small and pleasant smile on her lips. "Yes, my dear. How may I help ye?"

"Um, well, I was hoping if you knew how to get to closest bus stop. I got kinda lost," she said with a nervous laugh.

"What's bus stop?" the lady asked dumbfounded.

Lyra blinked, her face falling blank. Either this lady has never stepped foot out of this village in the middle of nowhere, or she was joking. Lyra laughed awkwardly.

"A bus," she repeated. "It's a big vehicle thing for transport."

"Oh! Ye wish for transport?" the lady asked, her eye widening in realisation.

Lyra smiled in relief. "Yes, please."

"I can ask one of the villagers to take ye to next village by horse if ye wish."

Back to square one. "No. I come from very, very, very far from here. I live in a city."

"A city?"

"Yes, a city. Big, tall buildings. Cars. Traffic. Roads and all that," Lyra listed, her patience wearing thin.

The lady squinted her eye and stood up. "Ye remind me of Kagome."

Lyra's eyes widened. "You know Kagome?! Is she here?"

"How do ye know Kagome?" the lady asked, the look in her eyes curious.

"She's my cousin.How do you know Kagome?" Lyra questioned back.

"Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister; the priestess," the lady replied casually.

Lyra stared at the old woman blankly for a few moments. "Okay..." She forced herself to stay calm. "Can you tell me where she is?"

"She passed by some time ago but if ye are quick, ye may be able to catch her. She went that way," the lady pointed to the right of the village.

The path went through a field which eventually went through some trees. With this and the villagers, plus the old lady claiming Kagome is a reincarnation of a priestess, one would think she had travelled back in time. Shaking away her silly thoughts, she thanked the old lady and began on her journey to find Kagome. It took a while for her to reach the area of sparse trees and as she entered, she instantly became lost.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" she cursed herself.

She turned back to see of she could return to where she came from but she realised after about half an hour that she was walking around in circles. There were no signs for anything and the trees only seemed to be growing more and more dense. Starting to lose all hope, she collapsed on the ground, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

Soon, her stomach began to rumble and she groaned quietly. How she got herself in such a predicament was crazy. She hoped this was a silly dream and she would wake up, most likely on a hospital bed, but at least she would be home. Before she knew it, she had began to drift off to sleep, her eyelids closing slowly until something touched her shoulder. Jumping from the sudden sensation, she startled awake, looking to see a man staring down at her with his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay there, miss? The ground isn't a suitable place for you to take rest."

His voice was kind and soft and he stood up straight again with a smile. He had short, black hair tied back in a small ponytail and he held a long staff with rings at the top. The beads around his wrist gave away that he was some sort of monk.

"I, uh... Honestly, I'm lost," she admitted to him.

"Well, perhaps I can help you."

Lyra stood and dusted herself off. "I'm looking for someone."

"There isn't a soul around for miles, my dear. But perhaps I can help you. It isn't safe for you to travel alone," he offered. "I suggest we go to the village not far from here."

"If you're talking about the village with the old lady with the eye patch, then I've already been there. She said the person I'm looking for came through here."

The man nodded in understanding. "So, you've met Lady Kaede. No problem. We'll continue on this way," he suggested as he pointed in the other direction.

"Okay. But why are you helping me?" she asked.

"I am a monk. It is in my nature to help those in need," he answered as they began walking. "My name is Miroku."

"Thank you, Miroku. I'm Lyra."

Miroku smiled. "A lovely name for a lovely lady."

Lyra laughed awkwardly but she disguised it well. Most of the journey went on in silence and she felt as though they were walking for hours. It soon began to grow dark and the monk suggested they make camp to rest for the night. She faced her back towards him, using her arm as a pillow as she pretended to fall asleep instantly. Whoever this guy was, for some reason she didn't feel quite so safe with him. It was the way he looked at her, as if he was planning something behind those innocent eyes of his.

The ground wasn't very pleasant but Lyra couldn't complain. Complaining in her situation wouldn't solve anything. She was starving as well, and as they reached deeper into the night there was a brisk chill in the air causing her to wrap her arms around herself. The leaves on the trees ruffled from the breeze and she was certain she could hear wolves howling in the distance.

'I definitely won't be able to sleep now...'

Minutes went by and she eventually fell asleep. However, it felt like she had just blinked when something woke her. It was already daylight and the birds were singing but she could hear a faint muttering.

"...a child. Lyra, bear me a child..."

Her eyes shot open wide but she didn't move. She knew there was something creepy about this guy! She stayed still as she continued to listen to his mumbling. It sounded like he was sleep talking. Slowly turning back to look at him, she saw his head lowered and his eyes closed as he slept against the tree. As silently as she could, she got up from the ground and snuck away. Without looking back, she quietly made her way through the trees as far as she thought she was safe before making a run for it. Hopefully that would put some distance between them and he wouldn't be able to find her when he woke up.

She ran for a good few minutes before stopping against yet another tree. She was getting sick and tired of trees. Resting against it, she closed her eyes. Suddenly, the realisation hit her. It hit her hard. She was all alone in this unknown part of Japan where no one seemed to know anything about technology, there was no transport, no phone connection, no restaurants, no hotels. She was lost and she didn't know how to get home.

A lump formed in her throat and she tried to hold back the tears that stung her eyes. She fell to her knees, placing her hands over her face as she cried quietly. She couldn't understand why this was all happening. Maybe she was in a coma or something, she couldn't tell. But no matter how much she hated it there, she knew it was real. It felt too real. Wiping away her tears, she pulled out her phone again to check for signal. Even if she could call for a taxi, she would pay for it no matter what the cost just to get back home. But there was still no signal. She switched it off completely to save the battery and put it in her pocket. As she sat trying to think of the next step in her not-so-great plan, she heard voices in the distance.

"Where are we going now?"

It was a little girl's voice. Standing up, Lyra his behind the tree and tried to slyly see of she could see the little girl. She could see the back of her head bobbing along on the other side of some bushes before she disappeared behind the next group of trees. She quietly followed, hiding behind another tree.

"How many times must we answer you, stupid?!" came a raspy and annoying voice. "We're going to find a demon!"

"But-"

"No buts, little girl! Hold your tongue!"

The little girl sighed. "Yes, Master Jaken."

She couldn't see where the other voice was coming from but she hid completely again behind the tree. 'Find a demon? What the f-'

"Walk faster, Rin!"

Lyra noticed they had gone quite far. Not having anything else to go by, she decided following them was her best bet. As she got closer, hiding behind tree to tree, she could see the back of a little short man walking with the girl. However, there was a third figure walking ahead of them. All she could make out was long white hair going down to waist length and they were clad in a white kimono with a huge fluffy thing trailing down from the shoulder.

'This is the biggest bunch of misfits I've ever seen.'

Sesshomaru was aware of the stranger following them. He had picked up on the scent a while ago and she wasn't being as quiet as she might have thought. He kept his gaze focused ahead but his senses were tracking the female. He had never picked up this particular scent before but he was simply grateful the scent was pleasant. Wanting to test the stranger, he kept quiet, curious to know how long she would remain hidden.