"Mayumi! Michiko! Tamotsu! Time for dinner!" Mama called. The three children ran for the house, trying to push each other out of the way in a race to get the chair near their father. The one who won it was, of course, Tamotsu.
"Tamotsu... why do you always get the chair?" The twin girls whined.
Tamotsu stuck his tongue out, "I'm the oldest, I'm the boy, I'm the one who gets it." He grinned. Sota chuckled and ruffled his son's hair.
"Papa. Tell us the story again." Mayumi grinned.
"Which one?" Sota asked, smiling.
"The one about the dog boy saving your life!" Michiko grinned.
"No! The one where Aunt Kagome fell into the well!" Mayumi protested.
"Tell us about the other world, Papa." Tamotsu begged.
Sota laughed. It was the same thing nearly every day. As they each got older, though, he became wary. His mother remained convinced that only Kagome and Inuyasha would've been able to get through the well. That it didn't matter that the twins were Kagome's age when she was first pulled through. Sota had another idea, though. It bothered him. After all, the twins reminded him a lot of how Kagome was.
Sota started the story, smiling at the enraptured faces of his children. Michiko and Mayumi had just turned fifteen, and Tamotsu was now seventeen, but he'd been telling this story again and again since they were toddlers. That was one thing that they didn't have in common with Nee-san. When Gramps had told the stories, she had remained uninterested. When Sota told his children, however, they couldn't get enough. Although, the reason behind that may have been different. Maybe because he was talking about it from his memories, instead of from legends. Because he remained most of these events, either because he had been there, or because his sister had described them.
"Alright, you three. It's time to eat." His wife, Manami, smiled, putting the food on the table. There was a collection of groans.
"Your mother's right. And I don't want you three going near that well, understand? That world is dangerous, full of demons. Your aunt nearly died many times in that world, when she was your age, Michiko, Mayumi." He nodded.
"But Pa..." Tamotsu frowned, "Obaa-san says that we won't go through."
"Obaa-san doesn't know for certain. I've made sure that you three were prepared, in case anything happened, but I don't want you to tempt fate." He said, his tone ending the conversation. He hadn't lied when he said he'd had prepared them. All three had been taught martial arts. Mayumi had been taught archery, as she seemed to have an incredible aim. Tamotsu had been taught how to sword fight, and Michiko had been taught many things about medicinal herbs, among other things. Still, he didn't want them to put this to use.
Naturally, the kids didn't listen. After dinner, they went for a walk. They had been sent to go to the store, but Mayumi stopped, frowning.
"Did either of you hear that?" She asked, turning to them.
"Hear what?" Michiko frowned.
"You're crazy, sis." Tamotsu teased. Mayumi frowned, turning to the direction of the shrine, where the old well was.
"It's glowing." Michiko bit her lip. Mayumi nodded.
"Uhm... I don't see nothing." Tamotsu frowned. The twins bolted for the well, rushing in the door. "Hey! You aren't allowed in there!" He yelled, running after them. He stood beside them, looking between his sisters and the well. They were whispering to eachother, staring at the well. "I don't see anything." He repeated, frowning.
Then... something changed. The well opened, causing the older boy and the younger twins to yelp. Something had grabbed them and started pulling them in, just as Sota ran in the room. Sota gasped, having an acute moment of De Ja Vu. Except, it was all three of them. And he knew there was nothing he could do. He'd told them before that, should it ever happen to them, find the village and Kagome. Find Kaede. Find Inuyasha. Get back through the well. It didn't change anything. Didn't change the fact he was terrified for them. "Tamotsu! Protect your sisters!" He yelled, just as they fell.
Sota slumped to the ground, as his cat Mana curled up on his lap. His wife came running, hearing the noise just as the light faded from the well. "They're gone." Sota whispered, tears coming to his eyes. "I can't lose them, too, Manami. I can't. I lost Nee-san, I can't lose them."
Manami wrapped his arms around her him. "They'll be okay. You taught them how to protect themselves, and each other. You gave them all the tools they needed to survive in that world. You taught them well. They'll be okay." She kissed him. Sota nodded, sighing.
"But what if they choose to live there forever?"