The day was bright and warm. The village was filled with the inhabitants, going about their daily lives, farming, tending the animals, weaving. It was a peaceful, quiet scene.
InuYasha thought he was going to die of boredom.
He was so completely, unbelievably bored, sitting up in the branch of the tree, he felt like he was going to scream. He actually found himself wishing something would come and attack the village just to end it.
Kagome had gone home a few days earlier, promising to be back soon, and threatening to "sit" him if he showed up over there.
"I didn't want to come anyway!"
"InuYasha," she had said gently, "Don't be angry. It's just that I have a huge test coming up. I absolutely have to pass it, and I need to study really hard for it, and-"
"Fine, go on, I don't care."
She had sighed, and he regretted what he had said. He had glanced at her, and she spoke again, "You always distract me when you come over, that's all. Any other time, you're more than welcome, you know that."
"Yeah," he had said, and had just walked her to the well.
It was hard not to go over, though. He just liked being with her. Even if she just wanted to be friends...he wanted to be with her.
He started thinking about what had happened even earlier...
InuYasha had noticed that she was absent, and had gone looking for her, scenting her. A part of him was uneasy he was going to find her using the Shikon again, with DarkWind again. No matter what the Kageri said, InuYasha distrusted him, and hated him. DarkWind had come in between him and Kagome, and...
He found them in a field together. And while he was still annoyed to see the tall handsome Kageri there, at least they weren't touching....
DarkWind was standing at one end of the field, near a large sack stuffed with straw. A large red bullseye had been painted on it. DarkWind stood with his arms crossed, leaning back against a tree, watching Kagome, who was standing on the far end of the field, her bow in hand.
InuYasha stopped running, and came to a stop, watching, as Kagome took aim, and let her arrow fly.
Even too fast for the hanyou's eye to follow, it shot across the field, burying itself in the straw sack with a whump.
DarkWind moved his head to look at the sack, and then called out.
"Right in the center, Nushi! Well done!"
Kagome laughed.
"Hey."
They all looked up to see the hanyou walking out onto the field. InuYasha watched Kagome, ignoring DarkWind outright, "What's going on?"
"I thought I should take up my archery again," Kagome said, smiling, as she walked towards him, "I've been ignoring it too long."
"You've been concentrating on the jewel..."
Kagome nodded, "Yeah, and I was thinking I shouldn't let my archery lag. So we came out here and set up..."
"How are you doing?"
Kagome blushed faintly, "Ehh...I'm kinda rusty. I really let it slip, and I shouldn't have."
InuYasha nodded, looking away.
Speaking softly, Kagome spoke, "What about you?"
"Huh?" he looked at her, confused.
"How is...you know..."
The hanyou looked away for a second, then back at her.
"I've been trying to use my Solar Flare," his voice was low.
Kagome spoke softly, "Still having trouble?"
InuYasha looked away, irritated, crossing his arms, "It's stupid. How am I supposed to be able to use an attack if I can only use it when I'm around Shadelings? I mean, how do you learn an attack when you're actually in battle?"
"Have you spoken to Izumi about it? Maybe she knows of something-"
"I asked earlier. She said there's really no way."
"I could ask DarkWind. He might know-"
"Forget it."
Kagome sighed, "InuYasha."
"I don't need his help."
"Even to gain better control of the Solar Flare?"
"Feh."
"Well, I don't know of anything else to be done, then. It's not like there are Shadelings running around everywhere. If you really want to learn, you may have to look for help in undesirable places."
DarkWind spoke, from close by, "I would be more than happy to help you, InuYasha-Warrior."
"I don't need your help!"
DarkWind nodded, and bowed, "As you wish."
*******************************************************
InuYasha now sat, up in his tree, listening to the villagers talking below. Kaede was teaching some children about herbs, and Shippo was trying to help, generally making a mess of things.
Miroku and Sango were off somewhere, together....
They had finally made up. InuYasha wasn't sure how they had done that, but when they had returned to the camp the day after Miroku went to that village and got drunk, the monk and the demon-slayer had instantly walked off to talk, alone. When they returned, they both seemed a little more at ease.
InuYasha grinned to himself, thinking about how hung over the monk had been the next day.
"Gods, Miroku, you really can't hold your liquor, can you?"
The monk groaned, "Let it lie, InuYasha. I'm not a hanyou, only human. I need less to overindulge...Gods my head..."
Well...maybe that would keep the monk from ever drinking to excess again.
Finally having some time to himself, InuYasha found that his mind was starting to wander.
He found himself thinking about Kikyo, the last time he had seen her.
She looked so shocked that Naraku was back. I guess she wasn't able to sense his return...meaning that he isn't the old Naraku anymore. He is something more. That's just great...
Her face, as she asked him about the Shikon.
"Does Kagome still have the Shikon Jewel?"
"Yeah, she does."
"So she's still alive."
Miroku's voice, "You know Kikyo hates Kagome, don't you?"
Yeah, I know, but....to be so damned blunt about it like that...
InuYasha thought about all the times Kagome had been forced to save Kikyo. To protect her. To even risk herself for the Miko. And while he knew Kagome had no love for Kikyo...still...she never really outwardly hated her like that...
She's so different now, from when we first met...
Suddenly, Izumi's voice came to him, talking to them all that day;
"InuYasha, Kikyo was under the impression that she could not be a woman, a normal woman, and a Priestess. They cannot marry, it is true, but they can take a lover, and even have a family. Kikyo could have done this, InuYasha, and...I think she knew this."
"Then...why..."
"Because she was tired of her responsibility, and wanted out. So she blinded herself the facts, InuYasha, and chose her path. And she died. As did you. Understand me well, InuYasha, though I know this will hurt you, you need to understand. Kikyo's choice, of using the Shikon to be rid of it, was not necessary. It was a choice she decided to make, not one that was thrust upon her."
He closed his eyes, scowling, gripping his sword tightly.
Kikyo always asked me to meet her outside the village. She never told me to come inside. Never asked me to come in. She never...never went anywhere with me where we might be seen by the villagers. She wanted me to be human...but why? So we could be together? Why couldn't we have been together...with me as I am?
He sighed. None of it made any sense anymore. And he was getting very tired of trying to straighten it out.
InuYasha opened his eyes, looking up through the leaves of the tree he sat in, the sun casting dappled shadows and light over his face.
Sometimes....I wish Kagome had never come over to this world. Sometimes I wish I had never met her....that I was still stuck to that tree...asleep...
A bird called nearby, and he looked away, suddenly angry at himself.
Listen to me. Whining like some useless baby.
And he found himself going around in circle again...
Kikyo and Kagome wouldn't....actually fight each other, would they? I mean...really fight? Kikyo would know that Kagome was just being tricked by DarkWind...she would have to...
InuYasha continued looking up into the tree, watching the leaves flash in the light.
Kagome closed her drawer, stuffing the extra socks down into her backpack.
"There....I think I have everything..."
"You sure packed a lot of stuff, Sis," Souta said, sitting on her bed. Kagome rarely let her little brother into her room, but today he watched her pack.
"Well, it's not like I can just run home all the time I forget something. Sometimes I'm really far from the well, so I need to bring everything I might possibly need."
"It's a good thing InuYasha's so strong, so he can carry all that stuff."
Kagome smiled.
Souta looked at her, "Are things ok between you and him, Sis?"
Kagome blinked, looking at her little brother, "What?"
Souta shrugged, "I dunno....that time you came back, you were really upset with him, remember? We weren't really allowed to mention his name for a while...and then you left to go to our great-aunt's place, and then he came through...he was really upset..."
"Souta..."
"I just wondered if you two were, like, still friends and everything. I mean, he still comes over to visit and he found me in the hospital after that earthquake!"
Kagome regarded her little brother in silence for a second, then sat on the edge of her bed, looking closely at him.
"InuYasha and I are friends, Souta. He wouldn't come over if he wasn't."
"Yeah, but...you guys were going out, right?"
Kagome studied his young face, "Going out?"
"Well...that time he came over during my birthday I saw you kissing in the kitchen."
Kagome smiled sadly, looking at the carpet beneath her feet, "We...were, Souta. But not any more."
"Why not?"
"It's real complicated. But I'm not sad about it, ok? We're still really good friends."
Souta looked at his sister for a second, "Are you going to start dating Houjo?"
Kagome smiled, "I don't think so. Houjo's really nice, but..."
"But?"
Kagome looked at him, growing annoyed at her little brother. Nosey little thing...
"Hey!" she suddenly declared, "What's the name of your new girlfriend?"
"What!?" Souta's little face went bright red.
"Ooh I bet you've got a new girlfriend! What's her name?"
"I don't have a girlfriend! Yuck!"
"I bet you doooooooo-!"
"No!"
"No? Hmm...ohh, I bet it's because you like Sokai, right?"
Souta went a darker crimson, shaking his head. Even his ears were red, "No! She's just a friend!"
"Suuure! A friend you gave your soccer ball to!"
"It's my soccer ball, I could give it to who I wanted!" Souta hollared, and ran out of her room.
Kagome gigged, "Well, at least now I know how to get rid of him."
"Alright Mom, I'm going now!"
"Are you sure you have enough, dear?"
"My backpack is so stuffed I don't think I can move!" Kagome grinned, putting her backpack and several bags on the ground at her feet, near the well.
"Here, dear, this is for you." Kagome's mother handed her a small package, wrapped in light blue paper.
Kagome blinked, "For me? Why?"
"For passing that test, dear. You came home and studied so hard. I know how hard it is for you to run home and study....the fact that you're still passing everything just shows how smart you are."
"Aww Mom," Kagome smiled, taking the little package. She opened it, to discover a small pair of what appeared to be diamond earrings, small studs with teardrop dangles.
Kagome blinked, "Mom...these must have been..."
"I want you to have them."
"Oh Mom..." Kagome suddenly felt overwhelmed, and hugged her, tightly.
Her mother laughed, hugging her tightly, "You're welcome, dear."
Kagome carefully put the small package in her backpack, and climbed up onto the lip of the well.
"I'll be back in about a week, mom, or two, ok?"
"Ok, Kagome. And please...be careful."
"I will!"
She picked up her bags, and leapt down into the well.
