"Thanks for come with me." I said to my friend.
"Anytime." She replied, looking out the window, watching the trees go by as I drove into the wooded area. "It's cool that you're leaving next week."
"Yeah, it is. To be honest, I'm really scared." I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. "I got to meet my boss over there. On the Skype calls we had going on for my interview, he looked really stern."
"I bet he's a lot nicer in person. He probably just put on his professional face." she said with a smile. I laughed at that, and it was quiet again for a bit.
"You miss him a lot, huh?" she asked, looking over at me. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and continued to look ahead.
"Like you wouldn't believe..."
It has been ten years since I left the Feudal era of Japan and returned to my world. It has been ten years since I have seen Inuyasha and the gang. Ten years since I heard Megumi speak to me in my head. Ten years since I have seem Kyo...
I stopped the car as we got to a clearing, and stayed in the car a bit longer. I was hesitant and scared, more scared than leaving for Japan. I grabbed my bag and shuffled through it taking out a framed picture that was a picture taken ten years ago with me and Kyo holding hands. "He's really cute, I bet he looks handsome now." My friend elbowed me and winked.
"Haha, yeah."
"I hope it works and you can go this time." She nodded, and got out of my car.
These past ten years have been rough. Especially right after coming back from their world. I couldn't tell anyone where I was at, because I knew they wouldn't believe me. I made another excuse, saying I was kidnapped, and they seemed to buy it. I only told a few of my friends the real truth, and they seemed to believe me. Especially after I showed them the pictures, and the necklace, and the scar on my leg from where I stabbed my self with my sword.
I stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. I could do this...I know I could. I walked with my friend towards the clearing and to the small hill where the tree still stood there. Ten years seem like a long time, and I hated every minute that passed when I couldn't see Kyo's face. This was where I first entered their world. That one night where I was camping with my friends. They didn't know what happened to me when I disappeared. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I slowly walked up the hill with my friend, and the closer I got the bigger my smile got and the more nervous I got. For ten years, I would come here everyday to go back to their world...but I could never go. Every single time I would wait for hours by this tree, trying anything to go back, and I would cry every time because no matter what I did nothing worked.
"Do you think it will work this time?" My friend asked me.
"Hard to say. It hasn't worked for ten years, so why now?" I shrugged, getting closer to the tree. I took in a deep breath, placing my hand towards it but hesitating. This was like a double-edged sword. I could go back to Feudal Japan and see Kyo and Inuyasha and the gang again, and possibly not be able to come back for a while, or not go at all and make my dream of teaching in Japan true.
In the end, I decided to go. I had to, I made that promise. I may lose the job opportunity I had in Japan at the moment, but this seemed more important.
I placed my hand on the tree and closed my eyes, willing it to work. I was hoping it would work. I would give anything to go back. Come on...come on...Please work!
"Hey, Megan, if it doesn't work, what will you do?" My friend asked, and then she finally turned around to where I was standing by the tree, only I wasn't there. She smiled a bit and nodded. "Go get your man!" she shouted to no one in particular.
~0~
Jeez, it only took you ten years to come back. That's a long time of me just trapped in the damn shard, you know. Well, it's not as bad as before, when I was trapped for what seemed like hundreds of years, but still!
"Megumi?" I gasped, jumping too. I haven't heard that voice in such a long time, it took me by surprise. My knees felt like jelly, and I fell to them, wanting to cry. My cheeks were hurting from smiling so long. "Megumi, you have no idea how much you made my dad hearing you again!"
What took you so long anyway? Megumi asked.
"I don't know, I just couldn't come back. I tried every day for ten years, but nothing worked." I said, and turned around. It looked like a forest came through here as I saw all the charred trees and lack of green anywhere. I could still smell the smoke. I looked up and the sky almost looked red, like itself was on fire. "What in the world happened here...?"
I don't know, I was trapped in that shard for ten years! She sounded agitated and I wouldn't blame her.
"There's no need-"
No need for what?
I smelled blood in the air and it was fresh. I didn't answer Megumi and just decided to take off. My sword was still at my side, that was great news if I had to fight some demons. the smell of blood got closer...and also the smell of death. It was a terrible stench and it made me cringe. I hated my heightened senses now. It smelled like they were still rotting and have rotted for weeks now. I didn't know if it was just one person...or a lot of people.
I exited the burnt down forest and came across a village that was burning. Houses were destroyed and shattered, debris littered the ground in large heaps. I could see skeletons on the ground, some still had flesh hanging on. I gagged a bit and covered my mouth to keep from throwing up. This was the most heart wrenching and most horrible thing in the world to see.
I ran on it and kept my mouth and nose covered. "Hello?!" I cried out trying to find the source of the fresh blood. I lifted some debris out-of-the-way, looking for any signs of life. But found nothing after five piles of debris.
I stopped, my ears perked picking up a small sound. I followed it, and it got a bit louder. It sounded like a little girl. "I'm coming!" I shouted and ran in the direction.
I saw a hand reaching out, and I grabbed it and kneeled down. there was a little girl trapped under a pile of broken wood and couldn't get out. "I'm gonna get you out of there, don't worry!" I said, and she nodded. I stood up and grabbed the debris and lifted it up. It was a bit heavy, but with my strength as a half demon, i could easily pick it up and throw it over the little girl.
She stood up and ran to me, wrapping her arms around me, crying into my kimono. I wrapped my arms around her and patted her head. "I was so scared!"
"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked in a soothing voice.
"A...A big scary demon came through and he burned down the village! He burned everyone alive!" She wiped her eyes.
"It's okay...you're safe now, little girl."
She gave me a long hug, not wanting to let go. I wanted to get her out of this disaster zone, but she refused to let go, so I just let her hug me. It must have been about five minutes when I heard a soft laugh, but it sounded more like a cackle. then in the distance I heard a shout, but before I could react, I felt something stab me right in the gut.
I gasped, and staggered backwards, holding my gut tightly, watching the blood pour out over my hand. I looked at the girl, wincing in pain as I staggered to my knees. she had a smirk on her face, and then something weird happened, it was like she changed her whole shape in a matter of seconds. what stood there now was a taller woman, but I didn't get a good look at her face. My head felt funny, and my vision was getting cloudy. A normal stab like that wouldn't cause this, I must have been poisoned.
A dark shadow was the last thing I saw before I fell to the ground. Great, I've only been here for maybe an hour, and I'm already poisoned. Something definitely is wrong with this world...