I do not own Inuyasha. All characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This disclaimer will be in effect for the duration of this story.
Inuyasha smiled as he helped Kagome out of the well at her family's shrine. They did it, they defeated Naraku, and the Shikon Jewel no longer existed thanks to Kagome's selfless wish. The least Inuyasha could do to thank Kagome for her selflessness was take her back to her time to see her family.
It was worth it to see her run to and embrace her mother. Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle as Souta and Ji-chan moved in for their turn at a hug. Even Buyo wanted in; Inuyasha could see him batting at Souta's ankles and meowing for attention from the girl that everyone loved dearly.
Inuyasha was startled out of his fond gazing by the sound of Mrs. Higuarshi's voice.
"Inuyasha, you're part of this family too. Come here so we can hug you!"
"Keh," Inuyasha managed as he blushed at having been caught staring by the mother of the girl he felt so strongly about.
Inuyasha's feet moved of their own accord as Kagome looked back from her mother's embrace to smile fondly at him. Before he knew it, he was enveloped in a strong hug he hadn't even realized he wanted to be a part of.
"Well, let's not stand here all day," Ji-Chan stated as he hobbled towards the back door, Souta and Buyo right behind him.
"Look at you, so young yet so mature. You must be starving!" Mama Higurashi said as she observed Kagome from an arm's length. "Come, you're just in time for lunch," she said as she started to steer Kagome towards the house.
After allowing her mother to guide her for a few steps, Kagome suddenly stopped to look back at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you coming?" Kagome asked as she looked towards Inuyasha's unmoving form.
"I'll be right behind you Kagome," Inuyasha managed despite the unwanted lump that was forming in his throat.
Kagome nodded, not entirely convinced, but turned back to follow her mother into the house.
Inuyasha let out a breath as he watched Kagome and her mother enter the house. He knew now what he had to do. As much as he had grown to love and need Kagome, watching her with her family and seeing how happy they were to be together made him realize that they loved and needed her just as much. He realized now how selfish he had been tearing Kagome from them and trying to cut her time with them short.
Although he knew it would hurt them both, Inuyasha decided to return to the Feudal Era and leave Kagome with her family. Even though she had experienced so much, she was still so young. She had her whole life ahead of her, and Inuyasha would be damned if he put it on hold any longer. If fate was kind to them, they would find a way to be together again.
With his mind made up, Inuyasha turned and headed towards the shrine, away from the house where Kagome and her family were most likely waiting for his presence. He chanced one last look back before jumping into the darkness below.
Kagome for her part, knew what Inuyasha was going to do before he had even properly gathered his thoughts. She was torn between strong feelings of love and anger for the confused and well-meaning hanyou as she sprinted towards the shrine she had watched him disappear into thirty-seconds prior.
A look of understanding had passed between mother and daughter before Kagome decided to run after him. She'd be damned if he thought he could get away from her. She would follow him back to the Feudal Era to knock some sense into him.
Kagome's pace increased as she heard a loud thump and a stream of curses erupt from Inuyasha. As Kagome neared the well, the curses seemed to take on a more panicked-tone.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out nervously.
The curses came to an abrupt halt as Kagome peered over the side of the well. The sight before her was confusing. Inuyasha was at the bottom of a very solid well, a characteristic pout on his face that Kagome had come to love.
"Wha-what happened?" Kagome asked genuinely puzzled. She had been expecting many things, but finding a pouty Inuyasha sitting at the bottom of the well on her side was not one of them.
"What does it look like, idiot? You think I wanted to land on my face?" Inuyasha demanded, embarrassed, confused, and a little bit angry.
"Well, no, not at all," Kagome managed through her shock. "Do you, er, want to come back up?" Kagome asked as she extended a hand towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha blinked up at Kagome, before hoping up onto the well's ledge, completely ignoring her extended hand. "Keh," he said as he sat on his haunches and glared at Kagome.
"I don't see why you're the one upset. If anything, I should be mad at you for abandoning me," Kagome said stung at Inuyasha's rejection. She could feel her anger start to rise.
"I didn't abandon you wench! I saw how happy you were with your family," Inuyasha stated, his anger too beginning to rise.
"Of course I'm happy with my family Inuyasha! I've always been happy with them. What I'm not happy with is you saying you'd be right behind us, but then turning around to escape down the well!" Kagome said, her words increasing with volume.
"I wasn't escaping! I thought that you deserved to spend time alone with your family, without me here to drag you back. Naraku's defeated and the jewel is gone. We don't need to keep going back and forth constantly. I was doing you a favor!" Inuyasha yelled, his anger at his intentions being misunderstood finally bursting forward.
"What is going on out here? Your yelling is enough to disturb the whole neighborhood!" Mama Higurashi asked with crossed her arms from her position beside the door to the shrine.
"Nothing!" Kagome and Inuyasha yelled at the same time before turning away from each other huffily.
"Well this nothing sure looks like something," Mama Higurashi said as she fought to hide an amused smile. She was well versed with Kagome and Inuyasha's passionate arguments. "Why don't you two come inside? I'm making ramen," Mama Higurashi said to placate Inuyasha.
Inuyasha contemplated her offer for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No, I'm leaving. You guys deserve to be alone with Kagome without me acting like a burden," he said as he prepared to jump once more.
"What do you mean burden? And you think I'm going to let you leave?" Kagome demanded angrily as she grabbed the back of Inuyasha's clothing.
"As if you're strong enough to stop me," Inuyasha said before wrenching his clothing out of Kagome's shocked grasp and leaping into the well.
Kagome's gasp of anger quickly turned to fits of laughter as Inuyasha's face met with the solid ground of the well.
"This ain't funny wench!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. He didn't understand. The well should have let him through. Why wasn't it working?
"Oh come on Inuyasha, it was too funny," Kagome said as her laughter subsided into giggles. It appeared that her anger had all but dissipated at the sight of Inuyasha's face to the ground and legs in the air.
"I don't understand, shouldn't the well have let him through?" Mama Higurashi questioned as she stared at the well. "It's always let the two of you through before," she stated.
Her mother's words did much to sober her mood. "Inuyasha, come up here. We might have a real problem," Kagome said as she tried not to panic.
"No shit. The well ain't working right," Inuyasha said as he hopped onto the ledge.
"Maybe I should try," Kagome said as she positioned herself to jump.
"Like I'll let you," Inuyasha growled.
"Like you could stop me," Kagome retorted as she lowered herself to the bottom of the well. Although she landed much more gracefully than Inuyasha, she too could not pass through the bottom of the well.
Kagome didn't even turn her head as she felt Inuyasha drop into the well behind her.
"I thought maybe it would work if we were both in the well," Inuyasha said a bit sheepishly.
"No, I don't think that would work. I'm not sensing any spiritual powers from the well at all," Kagome said as she turned to Inuyasha with bright eyes.
"What does that mean?" Inuyasha asked nervous for more than one reason. Kagome's tears never failed to make him nervous and on-edge.
"Inuyasha, I think we're stuck here, for good," Kagome said throatily. "The well's powers seem to be sealed. We can't go back," she said as her tears finally broke through.
"I don't get it. Shouldn't they be back by now?" Shippo asked. It had been a few days since Kagome and Inuyasha had disappeared, and the small youkai couldn't catch even a scent of the two.
"Patience Shippo-chan, we don't know what happened," Sango said as she tried to reassure the young youkai. In truth, she was having doubts herself. She wouldn't allow herself to believe them dead, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to them.
"No Sango, Shippo has a point. Inuyasha and Kagome should be back by now. They wouldn't disappear for this long without letting us know that they're safe," Miroku said, his worry evident on his face.
"I'm going to wait for them by the well. Maybe they went back to Kagome's time," Shippo said hopefully as he bounded out the door of Keade's hut where they were all staying.
Miroku and Sango let the kit go. It was best for him to have hope.
Shippo ran through the woods towards the well, deep in thought. Something had to be wrong. Inuyasha and Kagome wouldn't just leave them. They were family, a pack.
Shippo stopped as his youkai instincts flared to life. Crouching down in the underbrush in the forest beyond the well, Shippo paused to scent the air. It didn't smell like danger, but it didn't smell right either.
Shippo cautiously approached the well. As he did, the scent grew stronger. Shippo's eyes widened and his nose crinkled as he recognized the scent for what it was: death. The well seemed to be dead. Shippo reeled away in shock, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"What was that?" Sango asked as Kirara jumped up and transformed into her larger form with a menacing growl.
"I don't know, but we should check it out," Miroku replied as he went to retrieve his staff.
Sango nodded as she grabbed hiraikotsu and jumped on Kirara, Miroku right behind her.
Sango and Miroku rushed towards where they heard the scream, only to find a sobbing Shippo sitting alone by the well. After checking for signs of danger and finding none, Sango rushed towards the sobbing kit.
"Shippo-chan, what happened?" Sango asked as she rocked Shippo.
"The well! It's de-DEAD!" Shippo wailed between sobs as he pointed towards the still structure.
"What do you mean Shippo-chan? The well wasn't alive to begin with, was it?" Sango asked as she tried to figure out what had upset Shippo so much.
Shippo just shook his head viciously and sobbed louder, causing Sango to gaze helplessly towards Miroku.
After exchanging a look with Sango, Miroku approached the well. He didn't know what Shippo meant because Sango was correct. The well was an inanimate being. It was never alive. But as Miroku approached the structure, a sense of trepidation quickly overcame him. He finally understood what Shippo meant by the well was "dead." This was not good.
"Well?" Sango questioned as Miroku returned from his examination.
"Shippo-chan is actually right Sango," Miroku said solemnly as Sango's eyes widened.
"Wha? Who is that possible houshi-sama?" Sango whispered.
"I believe that since Shippo has a heightened sense of smell, he can smell scents that are invisible to us Sango. Even though I can't smell what Shippo can, I have enough spiritual powers to tell that there is something gravely wrong with the well. It is not emitting the same spiritual powers that it did when Inuyasha and Kagome used to pass through. In fact, there is no spiritual powers in the well at all. It's almost as if it's just a well," Miroku said as he plopped down next to Sango.
"What does that mean?" Sango asked worriedly as she scooted closer to Miroku.
"I think that it means that if Inuyasha and Kagome made it through to Kagome's time, that they wouldn't be able to make it back through to our time. The well is sealed," Miroku said sadly.