I know there were a few of you who wanted me to write a sequel to "The
Path," and I promise that I will, but right now I'm really not up to it. Do
you know that feeling that you have when you have another story raging
through your blood and you HAVE TO GET IT OUT? Well, this was the case. :-
D! Read on and please review!
"means talking
' means thinking
disclaimer: nope, still haven't built the multi-million dollar empire necessary to obtain ownership of the great golden-eyed hanyou
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Kagome fell to her knees, panting. A current of pain shot through her right arm, especially sharp in her small, fisted hand.
The sun hung high overhead, yet the atmosphere was depressing. The wind blew overly strong, and gales of sand threw their weight around the surrounding plain of green dryness.
Finally, slowly, Kagome felt a tentative hand place itself squarely on her back. "Kagome............" the source of the hand whispered woodenly.
She turned around and smiled opaquely, quickly looking down from the sharp light of the sun.
Kagome looked at the bloody, clawed hand on her shoulder and grimaced. Inuyasha had been hurt in that fight.
The wind spun madly, forcing his silver hair to form a shield all around his lacerated form.
"Kagome," Inuyasha ventured once more, boldly, "Kagome, he's dead. You can open your hand now. It's all right."
Kagome's weak gaze drifted once more to her hand, and she opened it with hesitation.
The white gleam of the whole shikon jewel shone brightly around them. It was clean. It was purified.
Kagome gulped deeply, her throat dry, her mind spinning in a daze of dehydration, tightening her fingers around the smooth, vibrating orb once again.
Almost as if to read her mind, Inuyasha instantly procured a pool of clear liquid in his cupped hands, pushing it towards Kagome's parched lips.
The world around her glared into focus, and Kagome sat up sharply.
Her school clothes were ripped badly, and Inuyasha's fire-rat shawl covered her very-bare shoulders.
She could now see that they were by a small river, in a long, treeless plain that offered no comfort from the blazing sun above.
With a gleam of realization, Kagome's eyes shot up into Inuyasha's instantly. "Inuyasha," she said, surprised at how normal her voice sounded to herself, "where is Shippo? Miroku? Sango?"
Inuyasha sighed, and then smiled wickedly, "I notice you ask about the males first, Kagome. I guess your not feeling as bad as I might have suspected."
Kagome shot him a dirty look. He was joking. That meant that the others were fine.
Finally, Kagome's memory gave a yelp for recognition, and she remembered the last night.
The death of Naraku.
She rocked back and forth, hardly noticing the golden-eyed hanyou take her in his arms, trying to forget all the images of the night before.
Feeling the coolness of his body, she pressed in closer, trying to forget the past and the irritating blaze of the sun surrounding her.
The air around them was silent save the anguished, low rumble of the earth below.
At last, Kagome's eyes widened with realization. She pulled back immediately, thrusting her eyes into the hanyou's. "Inuyasha! The jewel is whole. Complete. You can be a youkai now!" she bounced, trying to hide the hesitation in her voice.
Inuyasha's eyes grew distant, and his jaw throbbed as he thought of a way to answer.
"Kagome," he began, "do you want me to become a demon? A full demon?"
Trying not to seem taken aback by his assertion, Kagome smiled daintily, "It's what you've been working for, right Inuyasha? Go for it!"
"No, Kagome, you aren't understanding what I'm trying to say," Inuyasha grumbled, "I want to know WHY you want me to become a demon."
Kagome thought this over for a moment. Of course she knew WHY she wanted him to become a demon. She wanted him to be happy. She...........she loved him. But she couldn't tell him THAT. What good would it do?
"Inuyasha, I really don't know. If it makes you happy-"
"You want me to be happy?" Inuyasha whispered inaudibly. He was expecting something from her, he wanted her to say something. But what?
Kagome grew irritated. She didn't know what to say anymore, didn't know how many more ways to suppress her feelings.
"Look, Inuyasha, I don't know! Just TAKE it!" she screamed, thrusting the jewel into his confused hands.
Her hand still on his, she felt the heat of light radiate around them.
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelped.
"What's wrong? I-"Kagome gasped as the world flew away from her. Her eyes went out of focus.
Everything was so far away. She could feel her legs moving, but she couldn't control them. Distantly, she could hear Inuyasha repeatedly questioning her and shouting her name.
She tried to answer, tried to stop, but she couldn't.
There it was! The well.
Her legs took her to the well.
She saw Inuyasha running in hot pursuit, catching up with her as she turned around, her back to the well.
"Kagome, what are you DOING? Is everything ok? Your eyes they're so..........terrified. Is something happening? ANSWER ME!"
Kagome's lips would not move, as much as she tried.
'Inuyasha!' her mind screamed, desperately.
Suddenly, her legs buckled, and she fell backwards, plunging into the well. The last thing she saw was Inuyasha's right arm reaching out for her, the other throwing aside the shikon jewel to follow in suit, his red sleeves flailing wildly about him.
She heard her name, persistently getting softer and softer, until she felt herself thud onto the bottom of the well.
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Kagome looked up. She was in the well shrine, in the present.
Thankfully, she had regained control of her legs. She forced back into the well, trying to get back to Inuyasha's time.
Nothing happened.
She stamped on the floor of the well.
Nothing happened.
Building herself into a frenzy, she jumped and shouted, trying, desperately to return to feudal Japan.
Covered in sweat, she sighed. 'Ok, maybe Inuyasha will be able to come through. He'll come and get me.'
She waited, patiently.
What seemed like days passed.
She waited.
In admittance, Kagome's form finally slumped to the ground. 'No,' she thought, 'no, he would have come and gotten me already.'
Kagome's shoulders fell forward and she fell into a fit of deep, wrenched sobs.
She had been separated from her hanyou.
Forever.
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Hearing her sobs, Kagome's mother rushed into the well shrine, immediately clasping her arms around her daughters shoulders.
"Goodness, Kagome! Are you all right? What's wrong?"
Sniffing profoundly, Kagome replied, "He's gone mother. He's gone from me forever.
"Shhhhhh...........," her mother cooed, "who's gone now, dear? Have you had a fight with Hojou? I had no idea that you came to the well shrine to cry."
Kagome lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Hojou? The well shrine? I—"
Kagome's mother shook her head. "It's all right, Kagome. I know you aren't USUALLY allowed to come into the shrine. But, in this case, we don't have to tell your grandfather. It's really ok, darling, don't worry."
Kagome blinked repeatedly. What was she hearing? Not allowed to go into the well shrine? That was all she had been DOING for the last two years in the world of the present.
"No, mother, it's Inuyasha! He-"
"Inuyasha?" her mother mouthed speculatively, smiling. "Is that your "codename" for Hojou? Come, you can say his name to ME! Honey, don't worry about it. The fight with Hojou will get better. Just talk it out, you'll see."
Now extremely confused, Kagome looked down at her uniform, fingering her skirt trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
Wait, her uniform! It had just been entirely tattered, and she had been wearing the fire-rat shawl.
Now, miraculously, her school clothes were completely whole, and the shawl was gone.
"Kagome, wipe those tears! It's your 15th birthday today! You should be happy!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled.
"My---15th?"
This was the day she had first discovered the well.
The day she found out about the shikon jewel inside of her.
The day she met Inuyasha.
Her insides twisted with ill-concealable pain.
Had none of that really happened?
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Even though her mother insisted that she had just taken one, Kagome threw herself back into the bathtub.
She sighed, steam rising everywhere. Maybe the water WAS too hot, she realized, her skin turning red, but it made her feel good.
She felt cold. Cold that nothing had really happened. Cold that Inuyasha had never really happened. The hot water was just a way to try to forget.
To forget the cold.
She lifted her right hand to her heart, trying to quell its insistent beating.
Opening her hand in front of herself, she gasped sharply.
So it HAD happened.
There it was. The round mark she had gotten 'yesterday'.
The yesterday she had, at first, try to forget and now was aching to remember.
It had all happened so suddenly.
Somehow, Naraku had dropped the jewel. Inuyasha had forced him to.
The jewel had fallen to the ground, pulsating with its black, disgusting power gained from the impurities of Naraku's soul.
She had grabbed the jewel, to purify it, she remembered.
Oh, how it had burned and stung with youkai power. But she had kept it in her hand, and it had purified.
Blocking out the images of Naraku breaking Inuyasha, Kagome focused her attention once again to her hand.
The round reminder of the burn from the tainted shikon jewel remained.
Lifting it up to her lips, she kissed her inner hand slowly.
'My only reminder of Inuyasha,' she thought bitterly.
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"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed, knocking hard on the bathroom door, "you have to get to school today! Hurry it up!"
"But, mom, I just—"Kagome began, stopping abruptly.
'No,' she thought, 'I cant tell mom about what happened in the warring states era anymore with Inuyasha. She doesn't know it happened.
"Coming mom," Kagome gulped in tears. She would be living the last two years of her life all over again.
All over again without Inuyasha.
She quickly sat down at the table and thought deeply, ignoring the food laid out in front of her.
'Life seems so boring now,' she thought, 'I always used to have the reassurance, at the end of a day, that no matter how bored I was, I would have feudal Japan to look forward to. Now that I don't have that,' Kagome sighed, looking at her algebra book, 'life just seems a lot more boring.'
A hand clasped her shoulder tightly.
"Don't worry, darling!" her mother chirped, "I promise that everything will work itself out with Hojou."
Kagome nodded, getting tired of her mother's insistence that Hojou was the root of her problems.
BUT WAIT!
Hojou hadn't asked her out until AFTER her 15th birthday (after Inuyasha had finally let her return to the present).
How did her mother already know about him?
She eyed her mother, question in her eyes. "How do you know about Hojou?"
"OH, that!" Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, "a mother has her ways, dear."
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The hustle and bustle of school was surreal to Kagome.
All she could think about was that this was the day she had first gone through the bone eater's well.
So much had happened since then, and now it was happening all over again.
She groaned loudly, and then was stunned to hear a high-pitched voice shout out "KAGOME!" as a wild haired girl ran towards her.
Kagome smiled weakly, "Hey Ayumi!"
"It's the beginning of a new semester, Kagome! Are you still taking art as your elective?"
Kagome paused, deliberating.
Art had always been her Fine Arts forte.
But she didn't think she could do it anymore.
"Art," Kagome whispered.
What did she remember of art in the last two years that didn't really exist?
Landscapes of places she wanted to go, things she wanted to see, and random paintings of families.
No, that wasn't it.
They were really landscapes of places she wanted to go with Inuyasha, things she wanted to see with Inuyasha, and a family she wanted to create with Inuyasha.
She sighed, wistfully.
"Well, I WAS going to take art. But now I'm thinking that I may not. Tell me, what are you taking, Ayumi?"
"Theatre!" Ayumi chirped enthusiastically, "along with Eri and Yuka!"
"Hmm...............maybe I'll just take it, also."
"What? REALLY? That'd be great! We'd all be together then!" Ayumi smiled broadly.
"Oh, yeah..............." Ayumi said, started blushing a little, "there's someone else in theatre, too."
"Hmm? who?"
"Well," Ayumi gulped, "Hojo. You know him, from class B?"
Kagome gaped at her. So, this was what Ayumi had thought! She LIKED Hojo all along.
But why had she still forced Kagome to go out with Hojou in her "other" life?
It didn't fit together!
Finally, Kagome realized what had happened, and smiled at her friends sacrifice.
'She knew he liked me. It must have hurt to love someone who liked someone else, and then actually have to PUSH the one you love to another,' Kagome thought, her mind drifting momentarily to Kikyou.
"Y-you like Hojou?" Kagome blinked.
"Yes! I figured I'd tell you today, I've liked him for a while now! He talks to you once in a while, Kagome, you have to help me!"
Kagome smiled, "Of course! I'd love to......................" hoping secretly that in this reality Hojou really didn't like her.
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Biting her lip, Kagome walked towards Mr. Sato's desk, making sure that she didn't trip on anything on her first time to meet him.
He was an incredibly skinny and frazzled looking man. He wore a little lopsided French-beret, a bright turquoise skin-tight turtle neck and black pants. His hair was completely black and stuck out haphazardly over his forehead.
"Excuse me, Sato-sensei?" Kagome whispered, bowing her head a little.
"Yes?" Mr. Sato questioned, taking off his glasses and entwining his fingers.
"Uh, Sato-sensei, I have just transferred into your class, from art with Mrs. Ehime."
Mr. Sato's mouth immediately broke out into a smile. "Wonderful! Wonderful! Please take your seat---er?"
"Kagome"
"—Kagome-san."
Theatre was more different than Kagome had every imagined.
It almost seemed like a game, so uncoordinated and spontaneous.
It was an all-girl class, and Kagome found a choice seat right next to her three friends.
"Class................" Mr. Sato said quietly.
Surprisingly, everyone straightened up immediately, turning around to face the teacher.
He clapped his hands together, excitedly, "We can FINALLY do the project I've been planning for years. You see," he closed his eyes dramatically, "I think it's stifling that you are separated from the boys and they from you. That's just not how real life is. I want you to learn to work with one another, to speak to one another. So, with the exciting addition of Kagome- san into our classroom-"
he nodded in her direction,
"—the girls class has just as many theatre participants as my boys class! You will be pairing up with a boy to work with.....................I will choose the partners of course," he added in response to a few squealing, giggling girls.
"All right! So—class is already dismissed today. Meet tomorrow, and the boys will as well. I'll assign your semester project then."
With that, Mr. Sato picked up his forgotten glasses and briefcase, leaving the classroom.
The girls started to pack up and leave, simultaneously blabbering about how exciting and scary and weird the new project would be.
'Well,' Kagome smiled as Yuka impersonated a boy making a pass at Eri, 'looks like it's going to be an interesting year.'
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It was the next day, and rain poured down over the schoolyard.
Eri, running Kagome's way, grabbed her hand and pulled her, "hurry, Kagome, we're going to get wet and our tops are white!"
Kagome nodded and ran along with her friend.
The classroom was incredibly full now. The boys added a lot to the ruckus of the environment, loud as it was already.
Everyone was a little wet, and the persistent beat of thunder growled in the background.
Yet once again, Mr. Sato, now wearing a bright green turtleneck, was able to subdue the students with a soft, "ahem."
"You're project this year will be to work with a partner of the opposite gender and learn to work with them. You will have to make a script, using only the both of you, and perform a rendition of that script for the class in the end of the semester. It's totally open-ended," he paused.
"Ok, the pairing starts at once. Yuri, you're with Juro. Eri, you're with Jozen. Yuka, you're with Morihiro. Ayumi---"the list went on and on.
Kagome grew drowsy, drowning out Mr. Sato's voice and focusing on the rhythm of the rain outside.
"—Kagome, you're with Hojo..........." Mr. Sato progressed dully.
Kagome's eyes shot over to Ayumi's direction.
Ayumi's eyes grew large and shiny, pleading with Kagome to trade partners.
Kagome giggled and nodded, mouthing an 'of course,' then going back to listening to the rain.
The rain, it reminded her of Inuyasha.
Well, that's not much to say, EVERYTHING reminded her of Inuyasha.
She smiled, watching Ayumi as she explained to her partner that she would be with Hojo instead.
'Well, if anything, at least this theatre project will keep me from thinking too much about Inuyasha. Hopefully, I can regain my life without everything constantly reminding me of him'
She felt her to-be partner tap her on the shoulder.
Before she could turn around, she heard a solid voice say, "Hi, I'm Yashinu."
She stopped turning, her eyes widening at his name.
Damn.
Nothing could just be easy for her, could it?
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haha, hope you liked that! I hope it didn't bore you---I had SO much fun writing it, I wont lie. ^_^!
PLEASE REVIEW!
even if you just want to say "bad," "good," or "cheese" for all I care!
Point out grammar probs if you'
"means talking
' means thinking
disclaimer: nope, still haven't built the multi-million dollar empire necessary to obtain ownership of the great golden-eyed hanyou
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Kagome fell to her knees, panting. A current of pain shot through her right arm, especially sharp in her small, fisted hand.
The sun hung high overhead, yet the atmosphere was depressing. The wind blew overly strong, and gales of sand threw their weight around the surrounding plain of green dryness.
Finally, slowly, Kagome felt a tentative hand place itself squarely on her back. "Kagome............" the source of the hand whispered woodenly.
She turned around and smiled opaquely, quickly looking down from the sharp light of the sun.
Kagome looked at the bloody, clawed hand on her shoulder and grimaced. Inuyasha had been hurt in that fight.
The wind spun madly, forcing his silver hair to form a shield all around his lacerated form.
"Kagome," Inuyasha ventured once more, boldly, "Kagome, he's dead. You can open your hand now. It's all right."
Kagome's weak gaze drifted once more to her hand, and she opened it with hesitation.
The white gleam of the whole shikon jewel shone brightly around them. It was clean. It was purified.
Kagome gulped deeply, her throat dry, her mind spinning in a daze of dehydration, tightening her fingers around the smooth, vibrating orb once again.
Almost as if to read her mind, Inuyasha instantly procured a pool of clear liquid in his cupped hands, pushing it towards Kagome's parched lips.
The world around her glared into focus, and Kagome sat up sharply.
Her school clothes were ripped badly, and Inuyasha's fire-rat shawl covered her very-bare shoulders.
She could now see that they were by a small river, in a long, treeless plain that offered no comfort from the blazing sun above.
With a gleam of realization, Kagome's eyes shot up into Inuyasha's instantly. "Inuyasha," she said, surprised at how normal her voice sounded to herself, "where is Shippo? Miroku? Sango?"
Inuyasha sighed, and then smiled wickedly, "I notice you ask about the males first, Kagome. I guess your not feeling as bad as I might have suspected."
Kagome shot him a dirty look. He was joking. That meant that the others were fine.
Finally, Kagome's memory gave a yelp for recognition, and she remembered the last night.
The death of Naraku.
She rocked back and forth, hardly noticing the golden-eyed hanyou take her in his arms, trying to forget all the images of the night before.
Feeling the coolness of his body, she pressed in closer, trying to forget the past and the irritating blaze of the sun surrounding her.
The air around them was silent save the anguished, low rumble of the earth below.
At last, Kagome's eyes widened with realization. She pulled back immediately, thrusting her eyes into the hanyou's. "Inuyasha! The jewel is whole. Complete. You can be a youkai now!" she bounced, trying to hide the hesitation in her voice.
Inuyasha's eyes grew distant, and his jaw throbbed as he thought of a way to answer.
"Kagome," he began, "do you want me to become a demon? A full demon?"
Trying not to seem taken aback by his assertion, Kagome smiled daintily, "It's what you've been working for, right Inuyasha? Go for it!"
"No, Kagome, you aren't understanding what I'm trying to say," Inuyasha grumbled, "I want to know WHY you want me to become a demon."
Kagome thought this over for a moment. Of course she knew WHY she wanted him to become a demon. She wanted him to be happy. She...........she loved him. But she couldn't tell him THAT. What good would it do?
"Inuyasha, I really don't know. If it makes you happy-"
"You want me to be happy?" Inuyasha whispered inaudibly. He was expecting something from her, he wanted her to say something. But what?
Kagome grew irritated. She didn't know what to say anymore, didn't know how many more ways to suppress her feelings.
"Look, Inuyasha, I don't know! Just TAKE it!" she screamed, thrusting the jewel into his confused hands.
Her hand still on his, she felt the heat of light radiate around them.
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelped.
"What's wrong? I-"Kagome gasped as the world flew away from her. Her eyes went out of focus.
Everything was so far away. She could feel her legs moving, but she couldn't control them. Distantly, she could hear Inuyasha repeatedly questioning her and shouting her name.
She tried to answer, tried to stop, but she couldn't.
There it was! The well.
Her legs took her to the well.
She saw Inuyasha running in hot pursuit, catching up with her as she turned around, her back to the well.
"Kagome, what are you DOING? Is everything ok? Your eyes they're so..........terrified. Is something happening? ANSWER ME!"
Kagome's lips would not move, as much as she tried.
'Inuyasha!' her mind screamed, desperately.
Suddenly, her legs buckled, and she fell backwards, plunging into the well. The last thing she saw was Inuyasha's right arm reaching out for her, the other throwing aside the shikon jewel to follow in suit, his red sleeves flailing wildly about him.
She heard her name, persistently getting softer and softer, until she felt herself thud onto the bottom of the well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
Kagome looked up. She was in the well shrine, in the present.
Thankfully, she had regained control of her legs. She forced back into the well, trying to get back to Inuyasha's time.
Nothing happened.
She stamped on the floor of the well.
Nothing happened.
Building herself into a frenzy, she jumped and shouted, trying, desperately to return to feudal Japan.
Covered in sweat, she sighed. 'Ok, maybe Inuyasha will be able to come through. He'll come and get me.'
She waited, patiently.
What seemed like days passed.
She waited.
In admittance, Kagome's form finally slumped to the ground. 'No,' she thought, 'no, he would have come and gotten me already.'
Kagome's shoulders fell forward and she fell into a fit of deep, wrenched sobs.
She had been separated from her hanyou.
Forever.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
Hearing her sobs, Kagome's mother rushed into the well shrine, immediately clasping her arms around her daughters shoulders.
"Goodness, Kagome! Are you all right? What's wrong?"
Sniffing profoundly, Kagome replied, "He's gone mother. He's gone from me forever.
"Shhhhhh...........," her mother cooed, "who's gone now, dear? Have you had a fight with Hojou? I had no idea that you came to the well shrine to cry."
Kagome lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Hojou? The well shrine? I—"
Kagome's mother shook her head. "It's all right, Kagome. I know you aren't USUALLY allowed to come into the shrine. But, in this case, we don't have to tell your grandfather. It's really ok, darling, don't worry."
Kagome blinked repeatedly. What was she hearing? Not allowed to go into the well shrine? That was all she had been DOING for the last two years in the world of the present.
"No, mother, it's Inuyasha! He-"
"Inuyasha?" her mother mouthed speculatively, smiling. "Is that your "codename" for Hojou? Come, you can say his name to ME! Honey, don't worry about it. The fight with Hojou will get better. Just talk it out, you'll see."
Now extremely confused, Kagome looked down at her uniform, fingering her skirt trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
Wait, her uniform! It had just been entirely tattered, and she had been wearing the fire-rat shawl.
Now, miraculously, her school clothes were completely whole, and the shawl was gone.
"Kagome, wipe those tears! It's your 15th birthday today! You should be happy!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled.
"My---15th?"
This was the day she had first discovered the well.
The day she found out about the shikon jewel inside of her.
The day she met Inuyasha.
Her insides twisted with ill-concealable pain.
Had none of that really happened?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
Even though her mother insisted that she had just taken one, Kagome threw herself back into the bathtub.
She sighed, steam rising everywhere. Maybe the water WAS too hot, she realized, her skin turning red, but it made her feel good.
She felt cold. Cold that nothing had really happened. Cold that Inuyasha had never really happened. The hot water was just a way to try to forget.
To forget the cold.
She lifted her right hand to her heart, trying to quell its insistent beating.
Opening her hand in front of herself, she gasped sharply.
So it HAD happened.
There it was. The round mark she had gotten 'yesterday'.
The yesterday she had, at first, try to forget and now was aching to remember.
It had all happened so suddenly.
Somehow, Naraku had dropped the jewel. Inuyasha had forced him to.
The jewel had fallen to the ground, pulsating with its black, disgusting power gained from the impurities of Naraku's soul.
She had grabbed the jewel, to purify it, she remembered.
Oh, how it had burned and stung with youkai power. But she had kept it in her hand, and it had purified.
Blocking out the images of Naraku breaking Inuyasha, Kagome focused her attention once again to her hand.
The round reminder of the burn from the tainted shikon jewel remained.
Lifting it up to her lips, she kissed her inner hand slowly.
'My only reminder of Inuyasha,' she thought bitterly.
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"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Higurashi screamed, knocking hard on the bathroom door, "you have to get to school today! Hurry it up!"
"But, mom, I just—"Kagome began, stopping abruptly.
'No,' she thought, 'I cant tell mom about what happened in the warring states era anymore with Inuyasha. She doesn't know it happened.
"Coming mom," Kagome gulped in tears. She would be living the last two years of her life all over again.
All over again without Inuyasha.
She quickly sat down at the table and thought deeply, ignoring the food laid out in front of her.
'Life seems so boring now,' she thought, 'I always used to have the reassurance, at the end of a day, that no matter how bored I was, I would have feudal Japan to look forward to. Now that I don't have that,' Kagome sighed, looking at her algebra book, 'life just seems a lot more boring.'
A hand clasped her shoulder tightly.
"Don't worry, darling!" her mother chirped, "I promise that everything will work itself out with Hojou."
Kagome nodded, getting tired of her mother's insistence that Hojou was the root of her problems.
BUT WAIT!
Hojou hadn't asked her out until AFTER her 15th birthday (after Inuyasha had finally let her return to the present).
How did her mother already know about him?
She eyed her mother, question in her eyes. "How do you know about Hojou?"
"OH, that!" Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, "a mother has her ways, dear."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
The hustle and bustle of school was surreal to Kagome.
All she could think about was that this was the day she had first gone through the bone eater's well.
So much had happened since then, and now it was happening all over again.
She groaned loudly, and then was stunned to hear a high-pitched voice shout out "KAGOME!" as a wild haired girl ran towards her.
Kagome smiled weakly, "Hey Ayumi!"
"It's the beginning of a new semester, Kagome! Are you still taking art as your elective?"
Kagome paused, deliberating.
Art had always been her Fine Arts forte.
But she didn't think she could do it anymore.
"Art," Kagome whispered.
What did she remember of art in the last two years that didn't really exist?
Landscapes of places she wanted to go, things she wanted to see, and random paintings of families.
No, that wasn't it.
They were really landscapes of places she wanted to go with Inuyasha, things she wanted to see with Inuyasha, and a family she wanted to create with Inuyasha.
She sighed, wistfully.
"Well, I WAS going to take art. But now I'm thinking that I may not. Tell me, what are you taking, Ayumi?"
"Theatre!" Ayumi chirped enthusiastically, "along with Eri and Yuka!"
"Hmm...............maybe I'll just take it, also."
"What? REALLY? That'd be great! We'd all be together then!" Ayumi smiled broadly.
"Oh, yeah..............." Ayumi said, started blushing a little, "there's someone else in theatre, too."
"Hmm? who?"
"Well," Ayumi gulped, "Hojo. You know him, from class B?"
Kagome gaped at her. So, this was what Ayumi had thought! She LIKED Hojo all along.
But why had she still forced Kagome to go out with Hojou in her "other" life?
It didn't fit together!
Finally, Kagome realized what had happened, and smiled at her friends sacrifice.
'She knew he liked me. It must have hurt to love someone who liked someone else, and then actually have to PUSH the one you love to another,' Kagome thought, her mind drifting momentarily to Kikyou.
"Y-you like Hojou?" Kagome blinked.
"Yes! I figured I'd tell you today, I've liked him for a while now! He talks to you once in a while, Kagome, you have to help me!"
Kagome smiled, "Of course! I'd love to......................" hoping secretly that in this reality Hojou really didn't like her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
Biting her lip, Kagome walked towards Mr. Sato's desk, making sure that she didn't trip on anything on her first time to meet him.
He was an incredibly skinny and frazzled looking man. He wore a little lopsided French-beret, a bright turquoise skin-tight turtle neck and black pants. His hair was completely black and stuck out haphazardly over his forehead.
"Excuse me, Sato-sensei?" Kagome whispered, bowing her head a little.
"Yes?" Mr. Sato questioned, taking off his glasses and entwining his fingers.
"Uh, Sato-sensei, I have just transferred into your class, from art with Mrs. Ehime."
Mr. Sato's mouth immediately broke out into a smile. "Wonderful! Wonderful! Please take your seat---er?"
"Kagome"
"—Kagome-san."
Theatre was more different than Kagome had every imagined.
It almost seemed like a game, so uncoordinated and spontaneous.
It was an all-girl class, and Kagome found a choice seat right next to her three friends.
"Class................" Mr. Sato said quietly.
Surprisingly, everyone straightened up immediately, turning around to face the teacher.
He clapped his hands together, excitedly, "We can FINALLY do the project I've been planning for years. You see," he closed his eyes dramatically, "I think it's stifling that you are separated from the boys and they from you. That's just not how real life is. I want you to learn to work with one another, to speak to one another. So, with the exciting addition of Kagome- san into our classroom-"
he nodded in her direction,
"—the girls class has just as many theatre participants as my boys class! You will be pairing up with a boy to work with.....................I will choose the partners of course," he added in response to a few squealing, giggling girls.
"All right! So—class is already dismissed today. Meet tomorrow, and the boys will as well. I'll assign your semester project then."
With that, Mr. Sato picked up his forgotten glasses and briefcase, leaving the classroom.
The girls started to pack up and leave, simultaneously blabbering about how exciting and scary and weird the new project would be.
'Well,' Kagome smiled as Yuka impersonated a boy making a pass at Eri, 'looks like it's going to be an interesting year.'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
It was the next day, and rain poured down over the schoolyard.
Eri, running Kagome's way, grabbed her hand and pulled her, "hurry, Kagome, we're going to get wet and our tops are white!"
Kagome nodded and ran along with her friend.
The classroom was incredibly full now. The boys added a lot to the ruckus of the environment, loud as it was already.
Everyone was a little wet, and the persistent beat of thunder growled in the background.
Yet once again, Mr. Sato, now wearing a bright green turtleneck, was able to subdue the students with a soft, "ahem."
"You're project this year will be to work with a partner of the opposite gender and learn to work with them. You will have to make a script, using only the both of you, and perform a rendition of that script for the class in the end of the semester. It's totally open-ended," he paused.
"Ok, the pairing starts at once. Yuri, you're with Juro. Eri, you're with Jozen. Yuka, you're with Morihiro. Ayumi---"the list went on and on.
Kagome grew drowsy, drowning out Mr. Sato's voice and focusing on the rhythm of the rain outside.
"—Kagome, you're with Hojo..........." Mr. Sato progressed dully.
Kagome's eyes shot over to Ayumi's direction.
Ayumi's eyes grew large and shiny, pleading with Kagome to trade partners.
Kagome giggled and nodded, mouthing an 'of course,' then going back to listening to the rain.
The rain, it reminded her of Inuyasha.
Well, that's not much to say, EVERYTHING reminded her of Inuyasha.
She smiled, watching Ayumi as she explained to her partner that she would be with Hojo instead.
'Well, if anything, at least this theatre project will keep me from thinking too much about Inuyasha. Hopefully, I can regain my life without everything constantly reminding me of him'
She felt her to-be partner tap her on the shoulder.
Before she could turn around, she heard a solid voice say, "Hi, I'm Yashinu."
She stopped turning, her eyes widening at his name.
Damn.
Nothing could just be easy for her, could it?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
haha, hope you liked that! I hope it didn't bore you---I had SO much fun writing it, I wont lie. ^_^!
PLEASE REVIEW!
even if you just want to say "bad," "good," or "cheese" for all I care!
Point out grammar probs if you'