Kagome Higurashi sat on her pink bed, alone. Nothing new to her. An other fight, an other loss to her. Nothing was to be gained from those pointless fights, because he was too stubborn, she never won in his eyes. Kagome always lost, even though in her heart, and in his, too, she was in the right. Because of his ways, she was practically useless to him. So, after all the fights and heartache, why did she always return by his side? Was it worry that when she was gone, he'd betray her and go to Hell with Kikyou; or worse, die to Naraku? Kagome knew in her heart what it was, even though her mind said otherwise: it was love. She loved, with all her heart, Inuyasha, the hanyou that once killed so many for one little Shikon no Tama.
Kagome sighed as she heaved herself up off of her bed and headed to her desk. Sitting on her rotating chair, Kagome glanced over the desk materials. Old, dull pencils she never used, a few emptied-out ink pens, and a blue little book. She opened it to the cover, which read:
This book belongs to: Kagome Higurashi, ninth grade.
It was Kagome's diary. Over the fourteen months of knowing Inuyasha, she had obtained cute little doodles on her diary pages, like of Shippou, Sango, Miroku, and of course, her and Inuyasha. On one page, she did accidentally draw Kikyou falling off a cliff. Sure, accidentally…
She turned to the last empty page, and dated it, June 25th.
Dear journal,
This is the last entry for you. I just had an other fight with Inuyasha… It makes me sad to see him run off to Kikyou over and over again. Nowadays I'm used to it, and don't do anything about it. In fact, Kikyou doesn't wish to see him again, at least from my view. I've saved her a few times, because of Inuyasha wanting to see her over and over, and as I'm with her, I get the impression she just wants to finish Naraku so she can return to the afterlife peacefully. Kaede, her younger sister, says until then, her soul cannot return to my body and the afterlife… That really makes me sad.
And tomorrow, Mama and I are going to have a good time out at Shibuya, window shop, karaoke, and the carnival is in town down at Bunkamura. I just get this bad feeling when I think of Bunkamura, I wonder why…
Before I go, I wanna make a promise to myself, and to you, that one day -- hopefully in the near future -- I'll have the courage to let Inuyasha read this. Until then, I will write in the tenth installment to you.. Talk to you later!
Kagome shut the booklet and sighed. "I wonder… What he's doing?" And with that, she opened her window, and felt the summer's breeze comfort her, telling her just to have hope, and not to worry. Kagome knew Inuyasha could fight, and well, too. It's just… He did a really bad job at it apparently when she was gone. That did make her worry, though. He was so… Reckless.
Kagome woke up and yawned. She glanced around, noticing she had accidentally left her window open, only because a humid breeze entered her room. Kagome sighed heavily as she pushed herself out of bed and headed to her closet to change. She only showered at night, to refresh herself before dinner. Kagome slipped on her blue summer dress, and her ankle-strapped white sandals. As Kagome shut her closet door and began brushing her hair on her bed, her mother shouted up at her room.
"Kagome! You have a guest!"
"Who?" Kagome stood up and walked to her door. She ran to her door and flung it open. She ran about three steps before running into a warm chest. A kimono? Kagome thought. It's red, and warm… Uneven breathing… Oh, my God it's Inuyasha! Augh! What do I do?! Not only is today a mother-daughter day, I'm now beat red for running into his chest!
Kagome sighed heavily as she looked up, and not to her surprised, saw a surprised albino half demon. Kagome regained her composure as she pulled away, spinning around so Inuyasha wouldn't catch her red face. "No need to answer that question, Mama!" Kagome replied loud enough to break the pour hanyou's ears.
"Why are you here?" Kagome asked softly, slightly looking over her shoulder, as she stopped in front of her door, her left hand on the door way.
"Why aren't you there?" He demanded. Nothing new. It was the argument of the eras. That and the 'Kouga or Kikyou' fight. Both caused the young adults issues.
"Today is a mother-daughter day, Inuyasha! I don't want you ruining it. I haven't talked to Mama in really long time!" She shouted.
Kagome turned her head towards the door, to a smiling mother, her mother. Her hair was down for a change, and the brown hair reached her shoulders. There was one hair clip in her hair, holding the bangs from her face. She wore a summer dress as well, but hers was lavender, along with her sandals. "Wow, Mama, I haven't seen you dressed up since… Well, before Souta was born!"
Mama laughed, "I know, it's been so long. It's alright if Inuyasha comes, it'll be fun. Just no fighting, okay, you two?" Mama smiled. Kagome blinked towards Inuyasha, and smiled innocently. At least Mama didn't mind. Honestly, she wanted him to go, it was Mama who needed to say if he could go or not. As Kagome went to find Inuyasha's hat, Mama added, "We'll buy him clothes for this era, too. He needs to fit in." Kagome cracked a huge grin at Mama's comment. Kagome handed Inuyasha his hat and went downstairs. She could smell the burning scent of toast. Meaning Gramps was trying to make breakfast. Souta couldn't cook, and it was Mama's day off.
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Gramps, step out of the way, before you burn down the entire shrine." Kagome popped the toast out of the toaster and tossed the burnt toast away. Kagome then got more bread, fixed the timer on the toaster, and reloaded the toast. She looked in the pan, and saw blobs of a light yellow mixture, "Were you trying to make fried eggs?" Kagome said, rinsing out the pan.
"Eh…" Gramps sighed. Why was his granddaughter so skilled in so many things? Cooking, cleaning, school (when she was at school for longer than three days)…
"Kami…" Kagome muttered as she began cooking.
Inuyasha stood at the kitchen entrance, next to Mama. He was stunned, she was cooking so much faster than the first time he ever saw her cook her modern food. He watched as Kagome spun around from the counter to the stove, the egg bowl in her hand, becoming a frothy yellow mixture. She was beating the eggs so fast, it stunned Inuyasha. Gramps stood there, blinking, amazed, by Inuyasha's point of view.
"She's going to be a great mother some day. Honestly, I hope soon." Inuyasha heard Mama whisper. It was so soft, the whisper. Meaning she wanted only him to hear.
"Huh?" He blinked towards her, wondering what she had meant. Mama turned to Inuyasha and winked a sly wink. Not her, too… Inuyasha pondered at what she said, turning a slight red. He folded his arms and scoffed. Truthfully, he'd love to be Kagome's mate, but he couldn't say that. It was kind of… It showed weakness, or something like that.
Three minutes later, Kagome wiped her forehead with a kitchen rag and smiled, "A few more minutes, and we can go. We've got to teach Souta how to cook, before he ends up like Gramps, Mama." Kagome joked.
"Hey…" Gramps folded his arms as Mama laughed with Kagome. Her laugh is so sweet, Inuyasha thought, watching Kagome's every move. She gracefully slid across the floor, to the refrigerator to get milk, and then she quickly put it away after pouring two cups of milk. Then she hurried over to the pan and put the omelets and two plates, and on cue, the toast popped out of toaster, which Kagome zoomed over and easily buttered the two toasted bread slices. She put the toast on the plates and set them table.
"Souta should be awake any minute, so don't eat his plate, Gramps." Kagome said as she walked towards Mama and Inuyasha.
"Yes, let's go." Mama smiled and led the three to her Honda outside of the shrine. As the climbed down the shrine stairway, Mama watched Kagome and Inuyasha from the corner of her eye. They smiled and were laughing. I'm amazed, Mama thought, I've never seen him laugh. Kagome must be the only one who makes him laugh…
"So, Houshi-sama was bothering you again?" Kagome smiled.
"Nothin' new! Every single fight, 'When will you go to the well THIS time?' …! It's annoying." Inuyasha growled.
"He only means well…" Kagome sighed.
"Says you." Inuyasha feh'd once more as the car was in sight. Small and silver, but it was transportation. They rarely used it, too. It was because eleven years ago, that very same car was Kagome's father's murderer. It stalled in the middle of the high way, and cars crashed right into it. They saved the car, but not the driver: Kagome's father.
Kagome froze at the sight of the car, and could remember the sight of the crash like it was yesterday. It was exactly two months after Souta's birth, and seeing as Gramps wasn't living with them at the time, Mama had to take Souta and Kagome to the crash scene. Souta couldn't remember the gruesome sight, but it was etched into Kagome's memory.
Kagome gasped, "Mama, it's--"
"I know. I thought it's be nice to have some fun on this day." Mama said with a small smile as they entered the small car. Kagome had to buckle Inuyasha into the back seat, but… She wasn't smiling. Sadness overwhelmed her all of a sudden. The scene was in her mind again. Blood was all over this car's windshield, and the air bags opened, but too late. Her father had metal shrapnel in lodged into his brain, killing him almost instantly. Kagome remembers seeing that in an investigation photo when the police took Mama and her to the police station.
Silence fell over the car…
"What happened on this day?" Inuyasha said, breaking the silence. Kagome choked back a tear, and that's when it hit him. "You don't have to answer--"
"No, it's alright, Inuyasha." Kagome said, fighting back tears. "Eleven years ago, on this day, my father died. It was in this very car, too. Five cars crashed into it, instantly killing him. I was only four. But I remember the day like it was…" Kagome bit back her lip and rested her head against the window.
"Like it was yesterday." Mama answered. The drive to Bunkamura was almost calming. No cars on the high way they were on, because it was a weekday. There were diesel trucks, carrying water to a power plant, and some carrying gasoline to gas stations (obviously). These were the trucks that scared Kagome. She vowed to walk or no car at all. Because driving next to these things were just too much. How can Mama drive behind one? Kagome frantically thought.
Kagome looked over her shoulder, to see a concerned Inuyasha looking back at her. She smiled. But what if something happened to her when in this era. Sure, Inuyasha had a hat, but what if they got into a car accident. Instincts told her to keep Inuyasha by her side if that happened. Though, in reality, if that happened, everyone would either freak out, or lock Inuyasha up to do weird tests on him. So that's when Kagome decided to talk to Inuyasha about what he should do if anything like that happened.
"Inuyasha, promise me something you won't EVER stay if I got into an accident here." Kagome said seriously.
"What! Why?" Inuyasha demanded. He needed to protect Kagome, that's all there was to it.
"Because I don't want you being taken away by people for looking different!" Kagome snapped. "Look, just promise me, okay?"
"O--" Inuyasha was unable to finish his sentence. Mama was turning the corner to get into the parking lot for the district. Mama gasped as she saw the biggest truck she had ever seen in her life -- and by the looks of it's speed, it was going to be her last.
"I love you, Kagome." Mama cried before Kagome put her two cents in.
"Look out, Mama!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs, holding her head. Inuyasha's ears perked up, and heard the loudest screech ever. Following the screech, his nose caught scent of the worst scent ever: burning rubber.
Before anything else happened, an other scream left Kagome's lips, and then a car hit Mama's side of the car. The force was so strong, it threw the car back. It flipped a good three times before it skidded across the asphalt. Everything in the car was screwed up, they were upside down. Kagome and her mother hung limply in their seat belts.
Inuyasha was conscious, and instantly caught whiff of blood. Kagome and her mother's blood, and lots of it. Then he heard people muttering. He shredded his seat belt, and climbed out, before anyone could say anything about him, and jumped onto a building. His blood seeped through his haoris, but the pain was numb to him. His heart is what ached. He heard Kagome's mother's last words, and wondered if Kagome had, as well.
" I love you, Kagome."
"I'm sorry Kagome. You've told me never to risk getting caught in your era, and I promised you that." He said, as a small cut allowed his blood to trickle down his forehead. He knelt down so the people down at the accident wouldn't see him. Fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances arrived almost instantly, and it was perfect timing, too. Fire erupted from the pits of the other car, which was connected to Kagome's mother's car.
Then it dawned on him, he wasn't too far from the shrine. He had to tell Gramps and Souta! He stood up, "Wait a little longer, Kagome…" Inuyasha said, turning his back to policemen and running towards the shrine. After leaping over about three buildings, he growled and took off his 'shoes'; they were throwing off his speed and agility. He tossed the shoes into the afternoon sky and sped off towards the shrine. Thank the gods I'm a dog… We have good tracking senses. Inuyasha thought, disappearing from sight.
A buzzing sound whizzed into Kagome's head, making her head throb. Where was she? And why couldn't she move her arms, let alone let her eyes flutter open. Maybe if I just lay here for a minute my muscles will let me move… Kagome thought hopefully. Then she heard voices, two men.
"How are we going to tell her?" One asked.
"I will…" The other said sadly. Both completely familiar to Kagome. Who are they? Kagome strained her memories. The sadder one sounded gruff… Inuyasha! And… a family member. Someone very close to me… Kagome thought hard. Gramps! It was her love and her grandfather! Saved!
Kagome gained enough strength to moan and open her eyes. The first thing she saw were Inuyasha's worried amber eyes. "Inu… Inu…. Yasha…." Was what she said.
"Kagome, you're alive!" Inuyasha said. Kagome swore she could have heard his heart pound in excitement.
"Wh-What happened?" She asked. Silence was her response. She remembered instantly.
"How's Mama?" She demanded. Even more silence. Only thing she heard was Souta's weeps from behind Gramps. "Where is my mama?!" She screamed.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha went by her side. Kagome forced herself to sit him, and she quickly heard her heart beat on the machine beside her. It was beating faster, because it took all of her strength to pull herself up. "She's gone." Inuyasha sat on Kagome's bed, knowing what was going to happen. He had planned it out almost perfectly, because he knew Kagome well enough to guess what was going to happen next.
"What? No! No! She can't be! We were supposed to have fun!" Kagome clenched her fists and fell into Inuyasha's chest. She cried like a baby who couldn't find their mother. Tears seeped into Inuyasha's kimono, disappeared at touch. "We were… Supposed to… Have fun…" Kagome's words were drowned out by her sobs.
"She passed away at 11:59 PM." Gramps said, hugging Souta, trying to hush him.
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome, and hugged her. "Shh, Kagome… It'll be alright." He reassured.
"No, it won't! God has something on this day! I've lost both my parents!" Kagome cried, hugging Inuyasha now.
"So have I. I know what it's like, Kagome. It's hard. But you've got to move on." Inuyasha said. He looked towards Gramps, moving his eyes toward the door, telling him to leave them alone. Gramps nodded and took Souta outside, to the waiting room.
"Kagome, shh…" He kissed Kagome's forehead.
Kagome looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from sobbing. He could see the full effect of the accident. Her forehead had stitches, she had a bandage on her cheek, and a few scrapes under her neck. He knew that she had a broken hand, and a dislocated shoulder, both were on her right arm. She had a bandage that wrapped around her thigh from glass that cut open her left thigh. It was hell to see her like this, Inuyasha thought.
"…" Kagome bit her lip, and nodded. It will be hard, Kagome thought sadly. But he's right, I've got two lives to uphold. She started high school in less than a month, and she had to help finish off Naraku. Oh, I can't forget my duty as jewel detector… Kagome thought glumly. It will be hard… But I will be able to manage… For Mama's sake.