Kagome sat at her desk, the flickering light above her shining directly on her unfinished homework, casting eerie shadows everwhere else in her room. She tapped the desk lamp a few times and it continued to flicker, buzzing a little.
"No…Not now! I don't have any extra bulbs…please…", she pleaded.
She looked down at her homework with a sigh, remembering what her homeroom teacher had said the day before.
"I expect this makeup work completed in one week."
"But…but…"
"No excuses, Kagome…Your Science instructor, Mr. Fukada, expects these worksheets completed. You have five quizzes to take and a science fair project to finish."
"But I…"
"Mrs. Ueda also expects these Algebra assignments completed by next week…All twelve of them, and you have three tests to make up in that course alone."
"Oh…"
"The History instructor, Mr. Takemoto also expects your report on the Sengoku-Jidai finished by Monday, and these chapter reviews finished as well."
"But…I can't…"
"If you can't make up the assignments you miss, then I suggest you start attending your classes. Here are the assignment lists."
"Yes maam. Thank you…"
Kagome groaned wearily and gnawed on the tip of her mechanical pencil. In the flickering light, her pile of assignments looked like a towering white paper mountain. She sighed and twirled her gleaming raven hair around her finger.
"All of these assignments are due next week…how am I going to do all of this?!"
She slumped back in her chair and frowned at her algebra homework that she had started on earlier that day. Algebra was ruthless…The Quadratic formula…the Pythagorean theorem…how would this help her later in life?! She looked outside her window into the black void of the starless night. She had been working on these assignments all Saturday without realizing the passing time. Far in the distance the night sky erupted in violent purple flashes of lightening, which made her shrink back in her chair. A powerful storm was approaching.
"I can work on this later!", she rationalized to herself nervously as a deep thunder crash made the entire house shake. She slammed her textbook shut and shoved it into her back pack, the lightening flashes and thunder becoming more violent. The wind began to howl relentlessly through the curtains of her open window, sprays of rain blowing in her room in gushes.
"I…I didn't leave my window open…did I?!"
She ran to shut it when the light above her desk flickered then burned out, leaving her in complete darkness. Thunder cracked and shook her house more violently, causing her to loose her balance and fall to her knees.
"Oh! I've got to shut that window…"
She crawled over to her window sill and reached to slide it shut when she noticed a large shadowy figure towering above her. The figure had long ghostly hair which whipped freely in the wind from the open window, it's eyes gleaming bright gold with each strike of lightening. She wanted to scream but her throat was frozen. She fell backwards on her tailbone and scrambled across the floor to escape, when it reached forward and grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her bodyweight up from the floor. She felt sharp nails dig into the flesh of her arm and flinched as they broke the skin.
"P…please", she rasped as she strained her eyes in the dark to see her attacker.
A bright gleaming bolt of electricity struck a tree in her yard, lighting up her room momentarily with a brilliant flash, and she saw his face. His eyes burned deep amber, illuminating gold in the lightening. His hair…rich, long and silver whipped in the wind violently, his long bangs blowing wildly around his face…and his face…He gave her an irritated sneer and long jagged fangs glinted in the light, contrasting with the deep tan hue of his skin.
"Inu-Yasha?", she gasped, still shocked from being pulled up with his clawed hand.
She gasped at him, her bright brown eyes glistening in the lightening flash, her own long hair blowing around her face in rich black tendrils. The flash from the lightening strike blinded her and she used her free hand to rub her eyes, still clutched in his tight grasp. She blinked several times to adjust her eyes to the darkness of the room and opened her mouth partially to speak, but no words came. He loosened his grasp on her arm and threw her over his shoulder, which was drenched from the torrential downpour outside. She gasped as her body weight hit his shoulder, knocking the wind from her lungs. The wetness of his shoulder and back bled through the thin material of her linen nightshirt and chilled her skin.
"Let's go.", she heard him growl in a low scratchy tone.
Before she could utter a protest she felt her body become weightless as he leapt out her third story window and landed on the muddy ground. Sprays of rain and wind stung her and she winced as it tore at the sensitive flesh of her face. She gasped as he bounded towards the mini shrine that housed the sacred well. Each leap he made reaching thirty feet above the ground, causing her to gasp as his shoulder dug into her lung with each impact. Lightening crashed around her and she gritted her teeth with each merciless flash of energy.
He landed outside of the shrine and slid the doors open forcefully, the soaked wood of the paneling groaning under the pressure. Inside the shrine rain water leaked through the old wooden roof in trickles, splattering over the lip of the well and falling within. Kagome slid off Inu-Yasha's back when he released his grip on her, the thin fabric of her soaked nightshirt clinging to her like a second skin. She shivered and looked into the shadowed void inside of the well, another bolt of lightening cracked outside the open door to the shrine, lighting up the ripples of water inside the well as more water leaked through the roof.
"We can't…", Kagome whimpered softly, "We can't go…not when the well is full of…water."
She jumped as she felt Inu-Yasha's arm wrap around her sodden waist. He tightened his arm around her and lifted her up as he leapt onto the edge of the wooden well. Her breath became erratic as he held her effortlessly over the opening, the water that leaked through the roof splattering on her wet back.
"Can you hold your breath?", he questioned calmly as he held her there, her labored breathing causing his arm to shake. She shivered and nodded quietly before he took the plunge with her under his arm. She felt that weightless feeling again as they fell into the chasm of the well, her hair whipping behind her. The freezing water stung her body and she felt her lungs ache as she went under. They fell deeper until the water pulled away from their bodies and they floated in empty space. Deep colors paraded in front of her eyes, braking apart into stars and nebula. They were traveling through time…to the Sengoku-Jidai…The Feudal Era. She felt his grip around her waist tighten as he held onto her firmly. The colors moved faster, swirling around in a vortex. A bright, brilliant white light shone in front of her for an instant…then everything turned to black.
"Kagome…", she heard a childish voice whisper into her ear, "Are you alright?"
She groaned and opened her eyes only to shield them from the relentless sun that loomed over head. She was on her back, facing a passionate blue cloudless sky. Beside her sat a youthful young boy, his bright emerald eyes pleading with her. Burnt orange bangs brushed against his face as a gentle wind blew them. His thick bushy foxtail twitched nervously behind him and seemed to have a mind of its own. He smiled at her as she looked over at him, small white fangs flashing in the sun.
"You're awake Kagome", he exclaimed loudly, "I'm glad!"
She gasped as he hugged at her side. The forest was close by and she could heard the gentle rustle as the wind blew through the trees. Other than that her surroundings were unusually quiet and peaceful.
"How long…", she whispered sleepily, "How long was I…"
She trailed off as she felt her head ache. Apparently she had been asleep for a long time. The fox boy answered her unfinished question enthusiastically, as though reading her mind.
"You were asleep for a long time, Kagome…", he said, sitting on the grassless earth beside her. "Two days."
She felt her jaw drop as waves of panic overcame her like a flood. The color drained from her face as the dreaded realization came to her. Her homework…her tests…another missed school day. She gasped and pushed herself up into a sitting position, her ribs and lungs aching in protest. She leaned forward and fell onto her hands and knees, arms and legs shaking under the sudden stress.
"I have to get back…", she coughed, "Shippo…why can't I move…"
Shippo jumped to her side and tugged on her arm, a worrisome expression on his young face.
"No Kagome…", he pleaded, raising his voice to a sharp cry. "Kaede gave you a medicine drink to help you heal…you hafta lay down…"
Kagome nodded and lowered herself onto her back, her rib muscles and lungs relaxing as a result. She strained herself to remember what happened before she fell into unconsciousness…Her lungs ached from the weight of her body slamming into Inu-Yasha's shoulder…It happened when he carried her through the lightening storm. As she thought about this, she flinched and a sharp pain came to her side. While traveling through the well her breathing had become labor some, shallow even. She must have hyperventilated before passing through. She looked over at Shippo and winced as she drew in a deep breath.
"Are my…ribs broken?"
She noticed narrow fabric bandages wrapped around her torso and more tied around her arm…where Inu-Yasha had grabbed her.
Shippo lowered his bright green eyes to the ground and bit his lip at her question.
"Kaede said it was pretty bad." He shook his head sadly and looked back up at her. "That's why you hafta lay still for a while until you're better."
She nodded and closed her eyes, feeling cool shadows from one of the trees run across her face as it blew in the wind. Dark shadows ran across her closed eyes and she sighed softly. The air in the Feudal Era was so fresh and pure. It felt wonderful to breathe in the earthy smells of the forests, or the sweet fragrant aroma of the open meadows. In the distance she heard a woman's voice, young and strong followed by the voice of a young man, which was deep and smooth.
"Miroku…", she heard the woman's voice inquire, "I'm worried about Kagome…has she awaken from Kaede's medicine?"
She heard the young kitsune beside her scramble to his feet and scamper towards the speaking voices. A floating dandelion tendril brushed against her cheek and she lifted a weary arm to sweep it away.
"Miroku! Sango!", she heard the young fox call as he ran to the two people speaking. "It's Kagome! She's awake!"
"What?!", she heard them cry in unison. She heard rushed movements and a rustling through the long wild grass that grew around the barren clearing. Two shadows hovered over her, blocking the harsh sunlight overhead and she cracked her eyes open wearily to look at them. The woman kneeled to the ground and grasped one of her hands, smiling warmly. She wore a bright colored kimono, decorated in mauve and white, a detailed, rich green overskirt draped over it. She wore a light mauve shell makeup on her eyes, which enhanced the natural beauty of her face. Her long black hair gleamed in the noon sun, her short bangs moving with the breeze. The man also kneeled by Kagome's side, his short black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He wore humble black and violet garments which tied around in front. He held onto Kagome's right hand with his left, his other hand supporting a shining brass staff, the head of which was decorated with small brass ringlets that jingled in the air stream. He was a priest.
"M…Miroku…Sango…", Kagome murmured as she looked up at them, flinching as Sango moved slightly, no longer blocking the sun from her eyes. She trailed off as a loud dashing sound echoed through the forest and grew closer with inhuman speed, a strong gust blowing against her body as it stopped. She felt Sango and Miroku let go of her hands and stand quickly.
"Inu-Yasha…Kagome is awake, you should try not to startle her.", Miroku advised sagely as the young Hanyou pushed him aside roughly.
"Leave us."
"But…Inu-Yasha…"
"I SAID LEAVE US!"
Kagome blinked up at the clear cerulean sky above. She was unable to turn her head or her body to look at her companions. She heard the jingle of Miroku's staff, Sango's steady stride and Shippo's energetic scamper fade as they walked away to leave her alone with Inu-Yasha. She felt her heart race as he now stood over her. His thick red haori was bold in contrast to his long, silver hair. The wind blew the shadows of the tree overhead across his defined face, his long bangs whipping over his bold amber eyes. He clenched his clawed fists at his sides and bared his fangs as his apprehension rose.
"You…", he began in a low growl. He lowered himself beside her, his face inches away from her own, eyes narrowing. Hot breath brushed against her face as he spoke again.
"How could you allow this to happen!", he yelled, punching a fist into the barren earth beside her. A cloud of soil rose in a cloud from the impact, then subsided again.
"Kagome…", he continued, his eyes softening with worry. "Why didn't you say anything…"
She gasped as she remembered the night of the storm. Inu-Yasha hadn't mean to…hurt her. His claws had cut through trees…and demons. Even the lightest grip on her arm could easily break skin. She remembered the rough trip to the well shrine…The lightening…the storm…He avoided getting hit but it was rough on her ribs…her lungs. With each bound, her body weight cracked her chest against his shoulder…hurting her…if she had said something he would have let her ride on his back, or held her in his arms…but she didn't say a word…she was petrified. Her shallow breath in the well had caused her to become asphyxiated. Was that what he meant? Kagome flinched as her sore arm throbbed slightly. The effect of the medicine was diminishing. Inu-Yasha looked away from her and waited for her answer.
"Inu-Yasha…", Kagome whispered softly, "Why did you…Why did you bring me here?"
He lowered his head and shrugged, his bangs shielding his eyes as he spoke.
"It was a strong youkai energy..", he began slowly. "Stronger than any I've encountered…I figured there was a fragment of the Shikon jewel close by…I just needed to be sure…", his voice trailed off as he noticed the pained look on her face.
"Is that…all I am to you…", Kagome gasped, wincing from her injuries.
"What?"
She felt her eyes fill with tears and shut them tightly to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. "Is that all I am to you?!", she repeated, raising her voice momentarily then lowering it at a murmur. "Finding Jewel Shards…"
He stood up and turned away from her, lowering his head in silence. Shadows danced across his back and he folded his arms across his chest while he stood.
"Well?", she felt warm tears trail down her cheeks as she choked back a sob.
"Are you…", Inu-Yasha snarled under his breath. He spun around quickly and leapt to her side, every fang in his mouth exposed as he shouted the rest.
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT OR SOMETHING?! HAVEN'T I TOLD YOU REPEATEDLY THAT YOU'RE NOT!"
His amber eyes flashed as he yelled his answer in her face, her bangs blowing back from the force of his voice. She looked directly into his eyes as he said this…His pupils were narrow, like Buyo's…not round like her own. They were so animal like, surrounded by specks of gold and clear amber. She remembered when she first gazed at them, they contracted vertically and it startled her. Contact lenses…that's what they reminded her of…ones advertised in magazines…white contacts, amethyst and yellow cat's eyes. Only, his eyes were natural. She remembered staring into them…he had caught her a few times.
"What are you staring at me like that for?! Do you have something to say, huh?!"
Warm tears flowed freely as she could no longer choke back her sobbing. She knew he hadn't meant to yell at her…he always yelled…but she just couldn't help it. Kagome remembered hearing Miroku's voice before he left…What he had said…
"Kagome is awake, you should try not to startle her."
Why hadn't he listened…She began to shake as her emotions escaped in her tears, causing Inu-Yasha to recoil in shock. He backed away rapidly, his breathing becoming almost as erratic as her own. He opened his mouth a few times but was unable to respond to her.
"Why…are you…crying like that?!", he gasped once regaining his wits.
She sniffed a few times and strained to sit up, no matter what pain it would cause her by doing so. Her arms stretched behind her, supporting her upper weight as she hissed at him through her teeth.
"I'm…not…CRYING!"
She glared at him as her tears continued to trickle down her face, sunlight reflecting off each as they fell, causing them to glimmer and become more obvious. She quivered slightly as he stood, walked over to her, then sat right in front of her. He looked at her from the front, then turned his head to view her from all angles before nodding to himself.
"Well it sure looks like it."
She sighed and lowered herself down again, wiping away her own tears until they subsided. Inu-Yasha remained seated and quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Now that you're finished", he remarked in his usual exasperating tone, "We have most of the Shikon jewel shards…", he looked away and continued, "And we're getting close to Naraku…We need to gather the shards before he does and I…" He looked back at her, his amber eyes flashing in the light. "I need you, Kagome."
She gasped and he finished quickly, raising his voice nearly as loud as before.
"And NO! You're not just a shard detector!"
That last sentence caught her by surprise. She watched as he stood up and backed away, giving her one last perceptive look before leaping into a tree and racing into the shadows of the woods.
"Inu-Yasha…"
"Kagome…are you still sleeping?"
Kagome groaned and opened her eyes as a small hand nudged at her shoulder. She blinking blankly a few times before recognizing her surroundings. Shimmering stars twinkled in the infinite clear stretch of night sky that loomed above her. Everything was so clear, unlike the what she was accustomed to in modern Japan. Pollution combined with urban lighting made it nearly impossible to see the stars as clearly as she saw them now.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing…", she commented in awe . A glowing comet jetted across the sky, leaving a shimmering trail that faded slowly into the black vastness of space.
"Can't believe what?", Shippo inquired, his bushy tail twitching in curiosity. His bottle green irises glowed from the light of a nearby bonfire. She turned her head without tenderness from her wounds and looked about. Around the fire sat Kirara, dark crimson eyes shining at Sango, who fed her meat scraps from their previous meal. Her long golden tails waved to and fro as she enjoyed the meat and affection from her owner. Miroku threw dry twigs into the roaring fire, the dry leaving snapping into glowing embers. Kagome scanned the campsite and then sat up with little difficulty and pain.
"Shippo…", she whispered to the fox, who raised his eyebrows and looked at her.
"Where is…Inu-Yasha?"
Shippo cupped a small hand over his mouth and whispered so only she would hear. She leaned in to catch every word.
"He's up in that tree over there…he's been watching you like that this whole time."
"What?"
Shippo motioned to an old tree close to where they set up camp. She strained her eyes to see through the shadows…two eyes reflected the light from the fire and glowed copper through the dark leaves.
"Inu-Yasha?"
As thought the shadow heard her voice…it shrank back and the copper glowing eyes vanished. Kagome sighed and leaned forward. Her wounds felt sore but the pain was tolerable. She touched the fabric bandage strips that wrapped around her chest. They were fresh. Someone had taken remarkable care of her.
"My ribs…", she gasped as she ran her hand across them, "They've…healed."
Shippo grinned at her recovery. "That's because of Kaede's medicine! And…well…you needed a lot of sleep."
Kagome felt her nerves tense up like before. Her smile faded and she spaced out momentarily before asking the dreaded question.
"How…how long was I out for?"
Shippo scratched behind his head and concentrated. Each minuet that her question went unanswered made her more anxious.
"Um…", Shippo began, "Lets see…Inu-Yasha, Miroku and Sango said not to bother you from your rest…", he said, concentrating on the exact amout of time that passed. "You've been in and out of it for uh…three days…I guess the medicine made you groggy."
"THREE DAYS!?"
He jumped at her sudden outburst and covered his ears with his hands. "Shh! Calm down Kagome…you feel better, don'tcha?" She lowered her head and nodded softly, her unfinished assignments still plaguing her mind.
"Shippo?", she whispered, her eyes wide with curiosity, "Why did you wake me up if they told you not to?"
He gave her a friendly smile and pulled a piece of cooked duck from his vest. She smiled back as he handed it to her. She did feel hungry…It was as if he'd read her mind.
"That's my share…", he whispered, "But I'm not hungry and I thought you'd like to have it."
"Oh Thank you!", she cried happily as she devoured the meat. She licked her lips afterwards and lay back down to admire the stars. Her eyelids grew heavy and she felt them begin to droop…
"Mr. Fukada?!", Kagome gasped in shock. She was onstage underneath blinding white lights. Chairs stretched out in front of her in infinite rows, all full of eager people. She shielded her eyes to see the audience but couldn't make out a single face from the crowd.
"What's going on here…"
She swallowed nervously as her science teacher, Mr. Fukada shook her hand enthusiastically. "Kagome Higurashi!", he proclaimed proudly, his thick glasses flashing in the spotlight, "I present you with this prestigious award for your contribution to science!"
"Wha…What?"
"Thanks to you and your genius science fair project", he cried in admiration, "We now have a cure for cancer!" Kagome spun around as she heard roaring applause from the audience.
"But I…I didn't..", she stuttered as an award slipped into her hands. She smiled nervously and blinked, only to find herself standing behind a tall podium, the award gone. Before her stretched hundreds of diner tables, the audience's faces shrouded in shadow. She shrieked as a bright spotlight switched on, blinding her.
"Kagome Higurashi!", she heard a familiar voice boom. It was her history teacher, Mr. Takemoto. He shook her hand and smiled widely. "You have made a remarkable contribution to our historical knowledge of the Sengoku-Jidai Era! We would be honored if you became a member of our society!" She gasped as the thousands of audience members raised their glasses in a toast. "Here here!"
"But…I…", she cried as he handed her an award, still shaking her other hand. She pulled away and rubbed her eyes repeatedly…"This is all wrong!"
She lifted her head and gasped. She was now standing in front of a towering green chalk board. Rows of seats rose high above her, filled to maximum capacity with mysterious onlookers. Her math teacher, Ms. Ueda, stood before her, beaming. She handed Kagome a piece of chalk and faced the eager audience. "Kagome Higurashi.", she began boastfully, "Has discovered that Pi is not an infinite number!" She smiled at Kagome, who paled in horror. "She will now demonstate her mathematical genius by solving this math enigma…which has plagued mathematicians for generations!" Kagome swallowed hard and looked at the endless chalkboard, it was covered with thousands of complicated symbols and numbers. "Don't be shy, Kagome!", her teacher hissed, "Everyone is watching you…"
Kagome swallowed nervously and scribbled a few numbers on the board.
"This is like an alien language! How am I going to do this?!"
Her teacher walked behind her and frowned while expecting her progress. "Is this a joke? You certainly aren't the math expert you would like us to believe."
"I…but…"
"Oh, I almost forgot", Ms. Ueda sneered, "Pi is an infinite number…you are wrong."
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently, only to find herself back onstage with her science teacher, Mr. Fukada. "Kagome!", he chided, grabbing her award back in disgust. "It was all a sham…you have deceived the scientific community!" Her jaw dropped and she gasped in shock. The audience jeered at her as her teacher continued. "There is no cure for cancer! There is no forgiveness for what you have done! You're nothing more than a mediocre student!"
"No…no!", she cried, covering her ears. She looked up slowly to find herself behind the podium of the historical society. "Kagome…", a voice boomed from behind, "It was all a fraud! Your sources are all fabricated! I should have known!"
"Wait!", she pleaded as Mr. Takamoto snatched the award from her hand. "Your membership is declined!"
She found herself spinning in a whirpool of shame, her professors taunting her. "Failier! FAILIER!", they cried continuously as they circled around her. Above them all her homeroom teacher, Mrs. Asami, cackled viciously. Her red hair framed her treacherous face like a flickering blaze. "You'll always be a failure, Kagome Higurashi!", she hissed through her teeth, " I'll personally see to it that you never pass the eighth grade!"
Kagome covered her ears and shook her head at them. "NO…you're wrong! I'm not a failure! I'm not!" She balled her hands into fists and repeated herself to drown out the voices that mocked her. "I'm not…not a failure…a failure…"
She tossed around in spasms from the horrible nightmare, tepid beads of sweat dotting her forehead and seeping into her opening eyes, stinging them. Kagome woke with a jolt when a wet cloth swept across her temple. She opened her eyes slowly and groaned. The camp was shroud in morning humidity, the bon fire had dwindled and everyone was asleep on their mats…except for the mysterious figure that loomed over her. She strained her eyes in the twilight to see who it was that wiped the sweat from her brow. A warm breeze blew his pallid long hair away from his face, revealing two tawny amber eyes gazing down at her. She let out a small cry as he kneeled close to her and whispered, his warm breath tickling her bare cheek.
"You're awake."
She felt him pull away and stroke her bandaged side with his palm, then tap his knuckles against her ribs lightly. He nodded to himself when she didn't flinch and slid his hands behind her back to pull her up.
"Y…You," she wheezed as he lifted her up carefully, "You took…care of me…"
He pulled her close to him in silence and held her, resting his head atop hers. His wild mane whipped around her face, smelling of the deep earthy scents of the forest. He held her tightly and squeezed his eyes shut, a pained look on his face. It was his fault that Kagome was incapacitated like this…but at least she had recovered quickly. Did she hate him? He loosened his hold on her and she pulled back to look at him. She remembered his eyes when they had first started their quest for the jewel shards…they were insolent, untrusting. The look he gave her now was different…softened somehow…warmer. She leaned forward to get a better look when he turned away and growled.
"What is it?"
Kagome wrapped her arms around herself as strong gusts of wind grazed her exposed skin, flinching as her mid-length raven hair whipped in her eyes. The approaching gusts of wind became violent, humidity swirling in a whirlwind. "Who…", Kagome whimpered. She shielded her eyes from the clouds of dust that rose from the wind force and gasped as two strong arms reached through to grab her midsection. She felt herself become lightheaded as her body passed through the air current that surrounded the mystifying figure. She blinked her eyes into focus, wrapped up in the arms of a young wolf demon. His long black hair swung behind him in a high ponytail, a thick leather band restrained his untamed bangs from his face. His cavernous indigo eyes burned with demonic energy and he flared his long canines in rage. "Mutt face did this to you, didn't he?!", she squeaked at him, unable to answer. He growled and she felt energy surge through him as his anger increased. "I smell him all over your wounds…He'll pay for what he's done! I swear it!" She gasped, as she felt her body become weightless again. They were moving.
"Kouga! Where are you…taking me?!"
To be continued….