It seemed harmless enough to the untrained eye, and yet Inuyasha knew strange things could be pulled out of it.  It waited innocently for the curious to sneak a look into its darkened bowels.  He knew great treasure of ramen could be found within, but first he had to brave the horrors of "the bag."

Many times he had watched Kagome pull various contraptions and do-dads from within it.  "The future world is filled with many strange things," he thought, staring at the abandoned bag.  Kagome had been in such a hurry to get back, that she forgot it next to the well.  

Inuyasha nervously glanced around before carefully approaching the bag.  He could smell what he wanted amidst all the other strange smells.  

He poked the huge bag with one finger.  It was unresponsive to his touch.  Inside he faintly heard a clicking sound.  He poked it a little harder and a wild ringing filled his ears.  He scampered back and away from the bag.  The same thing had happened the last time that he had tried to touch it.  A monster seemed to be living in Kagome's bag.  She was unmindful to its presence, so it couldn't be too bad. 

The dreadful ringing stopped.

Inuyasha crawled forward, sniffing for enemies as he approached the bag.  He poked it softly, but the entity within seemed to be asleep.  Carefully he opened the tie and looked inside.  The scent of ramen greeted his nose.  He stared longingly into the darkened interior.  

Finally he unsheathed Tetsusaiga and used its handle to probe the bag.  The sword did very little to aid in his search and he only succeeded in tipping over the bag.  Contents spilled out onto the ground.  Among them he recognized a beat up clicking thing that he had pummeled once after it made a horrible ringing sound.  He had returned it to Kagome... and she still had it in her bag.  Did it make the horrible ringing sound he had just heard?  He hit it and it gave a plaintive ring.  Thinking quickly, he used his sword to reduce it to tiny, silent fragments.  Satisfied it would ring no more, he returned to the other spilled contents.

A couple of small pieces of paper lay on the ground.  He picked them up and stared at them.  One held the image of Kagome's family standing in front of their shrine.  Another held the image of two giggling girls.  The final one held the image of a young man.  Inuyasha frowned at his image, feeling strangely jealous that he should have a piece of paper with his image on it for Kagome to keep.  He turned the paper over where it was blank.  He looked at the spilled bag contents and found colorful oily powders.  He dipped a claw in one and carefully drew out a representation of himself on the backside of the young man's image.  Satisfied with his handiwork, he returned the paper to the other two with his image side up.  

He looked carefully at the oily powders he had used.  He vaguely remembered seeing Kagome smear the colors on her eyelids, cheeks and lips.  He used his fingertips to do the same to his eyes and cheeks.  He chose green for one eye and blue for the other.  He used the red to give himself stripes on his cheeks.  He felt very dignified knowing he now had stripes.  

Eagerly, he looked through more of the bag's contents.  He found his goal of ramen and carefully set it aside.  He found a small, fake dog.  It was soft to the touch and he set it aside, gently.  He found a small book and opened it.  Inside he read, "Today was the worst day of my life.  I saw them together and I knew I had no right to him.  It hurts so much... I love him."  

Inuyasha broke off his reading, wondering whom she was writing about.  He picked up the papers with images and looked at the young man's.  "Was it you?" he growled.  

He dropped the images and looked back at the small book.  "He can be such an insensitive jerk, sometimes, but I honestly love him."  Inuyasha scowled at the boy's image for a moment, feeling both jealousy and rage before looking back to the book.  "I wish I could tell him... But he has her now.  I want to run away, but I can't.  I have to stay with him, no matter what.  I love him that much.  I just wish he understood."

 Inuyasha sighed, staring at the young man's image.  "She doesn't need jerks like you in her life," he informed the smiling schoolboy.

"But he loves my previous self..." Inuyasha reread the line several times to make sure he understood it.  Finally his eyes lingered on a name.  "Kikyou."  

He slammed the book shut and tossed it away.  Breathing heavily, he clutched his chest and his heart raced within.  "No..." he whispered to the book, the bag and its scattered contents.  He stared dully at the fake dog, noticing its ears for the first time... so much like his own.  "She doesn't?  Does she?  How can she?" The very idea sent his mind racing with the possibilities.  He knew she cared... But love?

"What are you doing with my stuff?" a familiar voice asked.

He stared up at a slightly annoyed looking Kagome.  "I'm... I'm... I..."

The serious look on her face broke as she studied his face.  Her composure cracked and she began to laugh.  "Are you wearing my makeup?" she asked, amidst giggles.

"Is that what you call it?" he asked, still shocked.

She nodded her head and chuckled.  Kneeling beside him she touched her deceased alarm clock.  "I see you killed it."

"It attacked me."

She picked up her pictures and found his drawing on the back of Houjou.  "Did you do this?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"It's pretty good," she smiled, noticing the ramen.  "Is that what you were after."

He nodded.

Her eyes fell on her book and her smile faded.  

"What?" he asked, breathlessly.

"My diary."

"Is that what it is?  I can't read," he lied.

She sighed in relief and smiled at him.

He returned her smile.  His heart sped up as his mind chanted, "She loves me, she loves me..." Interesting discoveries... he made a mental note to investigate her bag again, further in the future.

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