It was early morning when Kagome heard the scream.
The scream that would plunge her life into more turmoil than Inuyasha could - almost.
She had been calmly tying her shoelaces, double-checking her bag for another trip to the Sengoku Jidai, and for once she was looking forward to going. Like it or not, she told herself, you are in love with Inuyasha. And you have friends and almost-family there.
But that's another story.
As she walked down the stairs, humming cheerfully, her mother screamed.
"Oh, gods, no!!!!!" Kagome paused, then turned and ran to the family room, where the TV lay. Her mother was in tears, staring at the television, sobbing audibly as Souta and Jiichan stood, gaping. Kagome glanced at the picture on the screen...and froze.
America's World Trade Center was crumbling. Two jets were sticking out of the building, fires raging.
And then she spun on her heel, abandoning her bag, and ran.
Ran where she was sure comfort was. Where people faced the death of family and friends every day of the week.
Sengoku Jidai...
~~~
It was a warm, clear early fall day. Recently, Inuyasha had taken to spending the time that Kagome was not there hanging around the well, pacing and straining to not jump in after her to drag her back.
He paused, then sniffed. Yes! She was coming back!
But as soon as she emerged from the well, he felt her deliberately crash into him, screaming and sobbing.
"What happened?" Inuyasha asked her, his face a mask of surprise.
"...Dead..." he managed to make out. "Inuyasha, she's dead! They killed her!!!!" As her sobs grew, Inuyasha held her tighter, rocking her back and forth. As much as he wanted to ask her who died and who killed her...he couldn't.
He just held her close, savoring the moment, hoping that it hadn't been too horrible, whatever happened.
~~~
After Kagome had calmed down, she looked up to him with tearful eyes.
"Sharon-chan is dead now." Emotion failed her voice, it simple cracked and almost sent her into sobs again - but Inuyasha shook her out of it, his golden eyes flashing.
"Who?"
"She's from America...it's a country that hasn't been settled yet in this time...she was a friend of mine. She worked in the World Trade Center."
"The what?"
"I-it's a big double-towered building in a huge city called New York."
"Why would that kill her?" Inuyasha, getting a bit tired of having to pump her for information.
"I explained to you about airplanes, right? Well...terrorists from another country hijacked four of them and sent two of them crashing into each of the towers and two more elsewhere..." and her voice cracked, and she crumbled into sobs. "They won't let any planes or anything into the country, so we can't go to her family and friends and..." from there her voice was unintelligible.
Once more, Inuyasha found himself comforting her, startled to find anger and sorrow building up inside of him until his tears mingled with hers.
~~~
It was much later in the day when Kagome and Inuyasha halfheartedly fell through the well to speak to her mother - Sharon's mother had been a close friend of Higurashi-san.
"Why would somebody do something like this?" Inuyasha wondered aloud. "Humans seem to be so much more like youkai in your time."
"They're sick bastards, that's why they did this. They're caught up in the fact that America helps their rival country." Kagome said bitterly. "And we can't even go over there anymore."
Inuyasha looped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her to him, trying to offer some form of comfort.
Once inside, he removed his arm, scowling angrily at the door. He uttered a curse that probably would have made a whole fleet of sailors gasp. As it was, Kagome was too much in shock to fully absorb his language.
"Don't cuss." was all she said, a vague look in her eyes as she headed into the family room, Inuyasha following.
Inwardly, she wondered how this would all happen...war or peace? Anger or forgiveness?
But mostly, her heart wept for the people and the family and friends of those who had been in the planes, the WTC, and the Pentagon.
~~~
War. Sad rescue officials, such as firemen, waded through the rubble, trying to hold back two screaming girls, both of which were demanding that they help in looking for survivors...and those not lucky enough to survive.
Anger. So many dead...chance.
9/11. International Peace Day.
Emergency Day, Kagome thought to herself.
Will it never end...?
~~~
I wanted to share my opinion on what happened, bringing it into light. Anybody concerned or wanting to show their feelings, go to peacedeath.pitas.com
God bless those in the WTC, planes, and Pentagon. My heart and prayers are with them.
-Katra Winner