A/N: Hello, my lovely readers. Yes, this is a new story from me, and no, I haven't forgotten about my ongoing fics. They're in the works, I promise. But I also promised that this story would be out this summer, and I couldn't wait any longer. Although I do have a few chapters written out in advance, this will still be sort of slow moving. I want to try and get my other stories done first before completely diving into this one. But anyways, enough of my rambling. Let me know what you think.
Ripple Effect
Chapter 1: Seven Years Ago
Never say goodbye, because goodbye means going away, and going away means forgetting.
The time had come. This was what she had been working toward for the past two months. Her fingers ached with blisters and her muscles were sore from constant use. A light breeze swept through the courtyard, brushing against her ebony hair and relieving her of the summer's heat. A drop of sweat glistened in the sunlight as it slid down her temple, and she licked her dry lips in concentration.
Her agate eyes watched the moving target carefully as it sped back and forth, trying to avoid her gaze. The bow she held in her left hand was crafted of the finest wood, given to her as a gift years ago. She placed an arrow in tune with the taunt wire as she gripped it. She remembered the long and hot days in which her fingers would bleed from countless training, but it did not matter. Her father had always been beside her, encouraging her, causing her to love the sport.
Even today, her dad sat in the background, quiet as a mouse, watching closely as his daughter attempted such a feat. She drew in a breath as her stance formed perfection. She recalled every detail, every angle her joints were supposed to move, down to the degree. Her elbow bent as she pulled back the cord, feeling it become tighter with increasing distance. She swallowed as she peered down the arrow, her index finger guiding its path to her designated mark. If she could manage to be successful, she would no longer have to be subjected to the lowly, untrained archers, who couldn't tell an arrow from a bow.
Seeing her chance, she planted her feet firmly in the ground and began to release her hold …
"Kagome!" a boy shouted, startling her out of her trance.
She screamed in surprise, watching her perfect form dissipate as the arrow shot forth, digging into the ground a few feet before her intended goal. Her hopes were dashed, and her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Oh no …"
A young woman standing behind her took a few steps forward. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but we are out of time."
Her eyes turned wide. "Oh please, Ms. Kaede, would you let me try once more?"
Her mentor, ever lovely with her dark-brown hair, smiled at the poor girl. "The sun is setting on the horizon. One is unable to shoot correctly in the dark without proper training. I suggest you come back tomorrow when the sun is high."
Kagome's pleading gaze dropped, knowing the elder archer was right. "Yes, ma'am," she replied solemnly.
Kaede's smile softened as she looked over the distraught girl. "Do not fret, Kagome," she soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You still have much time to perfect your stance." It seemed to quell the girl's disappointment for the time being. Kaede had been a master at the art of shooting arrows when she was young, but in her later years, an accident with her now-deceased sister rendered her right eye useless, dispelling a great amount of her arching abilities. She instead took up the job of teaching others the sport and although she took on many students, Kagome always captivated her with such determination and talent. "I shall see you tomorrow afternoon?"
The ten-year-old shook her head. "No, my mom and dad are taking my brother and me to the carnival," she replied, frustration lacing her tone. "But I promise to be back soon!" She bowed politely and waited for her mentor to take her leave, an air of wisdom lingering behind.
Kagome sighed dejectedly and looked out into the field where her lone arrow had dug into the ground. The sky had turned red as the sun began to dip below the horizon. She had spent all day practicing the same stance and technique. It was rather disconcerting to end the day with failure. But as Ms. Kaede had said, she was still young and had plenty of time to perfect her technique.
Finally over the loss of the matter, her depression flared to annoyance as she glanced behind her. "What do you want, Inuyasha?" she demanded sharply, glaring at the boy who had been standing back curiously as Kagome was excused from class.
He flashed a smile. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out after you were done."
"You interrupted me while I was arching," she reprimanded, turning to face him and placing her hands on her hips. "That was a really important shot for me. If I had made it, I would have been able to move up to the advance class. And you ruined it!" She threw her hands up in the air and let loose a growl of frustration before stomping out into the field, mindful of the potholes and rocks littering the grass.
Inuyasha chased after her. "Sorry, Kags, I didn't mean to." He began to pick up numerous arrows strewn about, hoping to quell the rage burning within her.
She pivoted on her foot and narrowed her eyes. "I didn't ask for your help!" she shouted.
He put his hands up in a manner of peace while dropping the arrows at his feet. His silver hair shifted in the breeze. The smile faded and a hint of hurt crossed his gaze. "I said I was sorry."
A moment passed before she finally sighed. Her features softened, all trace of anger gone from her voice. "You know how important this is to me," she said quietly, gripping the arrow tightly in her hand as her eyes stung with the threat of tears.
"I know," he lamented, rubbing the back of his neck. "But let me make it up to you. How about we go out for some ice cream?" Try as she might, she couldn't resist his hopeful amber eyes or genuine sincerity and soon found her fury diminishing.
"Sure," she replied with a smile. As she turned around, she was enveloped into a hug and immediately returned the gesture. "Daddy!"
"I'm so proud of you, Kaggie," he whispered in her ear. "You were amazing."
Her small arms retracted from his neck, and she looked at him with a somber expression. "But I didn't make it."
A smile broadened against his lips as he took her hands in his. "Don't worry about it. You will always have a second chance. As long as you're determined, you can do anything."
She giggled softly. "Thanks, daddy." She was unsure what exactly his words meant, but it always helped when he talked; it gave her hope that she would always be able to pull through whatever struggle she may face.
He chuckled and stood to full height. "Now, I heard you were going to get some ice cream. How about I meet you back home?"
"Okay," she replied, feeling Inuyasha's eyes on them. "I love you, daddy."
Mr. Higurashi gave his daughter a final hug before making his way to his car. When he had pulled out of sight, Inuyasha glanced at her. "Race you there."
"You're on!" Kagome laughed with glee as she tried to out run him, knowing full well he would let her win. He always did.
x.X.x.X.x.X.x
The brown and white liquid trailed down the length of her wrist, dripping to crash into the red fabric below. Her brows furrowed in annoyance as she desperately tried to keep control of the melting ice cream. Even though the sun had long since left, leaving a hue of pink and purple in the sky, the humid air prevented the dessert from staying cold.
"Maybe we should have gotten cookies instead," Kagome mumbled. Seeing a trash can, she leaned over and dumped the remainder of her cone, wiping her hands against her pants. It wiped off the tasty treat, but left a trail of sticky mess behind.
Inuyasha scoffed. "I told you not to order a second one."
The girl playfully hit him on the shoulder. "Hey, it's not my fault I like ice cream."
"You better not have gotten any of that crap on me." She glanced down at his back, her eyes finding spots of brown mingled in his hair and clothes.
A sheepish smile found its way onto her face. "It'll come out," she assured.
"Kagome!" he shouted, stopping and glaring over his shoulder at the girl on his back.
"I agree with her," a brunette girl said, dumping her strawberry treat. "Ice cream is so messy in the summer."
"Well, I for one love the hot weather. It means less clothing for the ladies." Both girls sent the boy a heated glare, trying their best to ignore his perverted comments. Even at the tender age of eleven, thanks to his lecherous guardian, Miroku had developed a mind which always held a risqué remark or thought.
"You lecher," Inuyasha growled. "Learn to keep your thoughts to yourself."
"He's right," Kagome replied with a frown. "We don't need to hear what you're thinking."
"Oh, come on," he said with a smile. "You're thinking it, too. I'm the only one brave enough to say it aloud, is all."
The brunette scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Right, Miroku. We all have our minds in the gutter."
His grin widened in victory. "Thank you, my dear Sango, for admitting it. Takes a lot of courage to say something like that."
With an infuriated expression, she turned and hit him over the head. He yelped on impact and immediately began rubbing the offended spot, dropping his ice cream in the process. "I think she was being sarcastic," Kouga mumbled, his cerulean eyes alight with laughter.
"Poor Miroku," Kagome said, glancing over her shoulder while locking her arms around Inuyasha's neck. The perverted boy had dropped his dessert and was now sulking because of his misfortune. "Do you think we were too hard on him?"
"Not a chance," Kouga replied in a sure tone. "That kids gotta learn how to treat a woman." With this remark, he grasped Kagome's hand in his.
Inuyasha intervened. "Cut the crap, ya flea bag," he growled, walking further away from him to avoid contact. "You haven't even reached puberty yet."
He flushed and frowned in embarrassment before folding his arms and keeping silent.
Kagome pointedly ignored the banter between them. "Come on, Inuyasha. Curfew was ten minutes ago. Mama is going to be mad."
He scowled and turned in the direction of her house. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "I'm goin'." He smirked and, without warning, began running at full speed.
A scream tore itself from her lips as she whipped backwards before clutching his shoulders with her hands. She burrowed her face into his back as the wind whipped around her. His pace seemed to even out as she loosened up, closing her eyes against the breeze. Laughter rang through the night as she held her hands above her head, knowing she was perfectly safe. Inuyasha would never let her fall.
X.x.X.x.X.x.X
It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. One glance at those molten orbs proved he wasn't lying.
Kagome shook her head in disbelief as the young man before her finished. Inuyasha had returned later that evening, ushering Kagome into her room to tell her the news. His expression was crestfallen, instantly giving the young girl a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She refused to sit and begged him to tell her what was wrong. He uttered two words; two simple words that would change her life forever. "I'm moving." She could have sworn her heart stopped beating.
A moment of intense silence passed. "You can't move," she finally whispered. His mournful gaze found hers. "You just can't."
Unwillingly, tears fell down her cream-colored cheeks, dripping soundlessly off her chin. Inuyasha cautiously brought her into a hug, trying desperately to stop the raven-haired girl from crying. "Please … please don't cry," he mumbled into her hair. At his request, her frame stopped shaking and she glanced up at him.
Eyes, already red, searched his amber spheres for some indication he was joking. "Why?" It was a simple question that held so many possible answers.
Inuyasha dropped his arms from around her and sat on the bed, placing his head in his hands, resting his elbows atop his knees. He sighed before answering. "My father," he spoke, his voice strong yet broken. "He wants to expand our company. All the way in the United States."
Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "The United States?" she questioned, her eyes widening. "That's half-way around the world!"
"I know," he responded, glancing up at the tear-stricken girl. She took in his weary gaze. The young boy had fought all night in an effort to change his father's mind. Without another word, Kagome sat next to him on her bed, focusing her eyes on her fidgeting hands.
"What am I going to do without you?" Tears threatened to fall once more, but she refused to cry. She had to stay strong, at least for now.
"What do you mean?" he scoffed, covering up his pain with a feigned attitude. "You'll still have Sango and Miroku, and that wretched Kouga. Don't worry, we'll keep in touch. Someday, I'll be back. You'll see." He gave her one of his infamous smirks and crossed his arms.
She could see right through his tough exterior. Deep down, he was hurting just as much as she was. After all, they had been best friends since they were little. But for now, she would play along with his little charade. "Yeah," she whispered, forcing a small smile. "You're right." Wiping her tear-stained cheeks, the young girl knew in her heart that it was highly unlikely. Yet, it was okay to hope. Wasn't it?
X.x.X.x.X.x.X
"Do you have everything?" InuTaisho asked his youngest son. Earning a curt nod in return, he turned away from the moping child. His golden eyes held weariness from constantly battling with Inuyasha. The boy just couldn't understand the reason behind his decision.
Giving one last box to Sesshomaru, the founder of the Tetsusaiga Corporation briskly made his way over to his wife. "Izayoi," he murmured, so the children would not over hear.
"Yes, dear," she responded, sweeping a strand of dark hair over her shoulder.
"Do you mind telling your son to show some respect? He hasn't spoken to me in a week." He folded his arms across his broad chest, his gaze hard and even.
"Well," her voice soothed. "You are taking him away from everything he's ever known. Give it some time. It's going to be a drastic change for all of us, especially Inuyasha." She gave him a sweet smile and rested her palm against his cheek. "You'll see. Soon enough, he'll be acting like his old self." With a feather-light kiss, she withdrew her hand and turned to continue her packing.
InuTaisho merely grunted in response before resuming his duties. He directed the last of the boxes into the moving truck. With everything secured, the Takahashi's turned to say goodbye. Their friends and neighbors had all come to bid farewell and a few moments were spent with tears and smiles.
"So, I guess this is it," Kagome whispered, refusing to meet the young boy's face. Inuyasha took her hand in his and rubbed it soothingly. "Will I ever see you again?"
"Keh, 'course you will," he scoffed, keeping up appearances. His eyes traced over his friend's delicate features; the way her brown eyes could drown a person in their depths, her rose petal lips always smiling, and her wavy locks of hair falling softly over her shoulders.
"I'll miss you," she said, finally meeting his gaze. She threw herself at him, grasping onto the fabric of his clothing.
He sighed. "I'll miss you, too, Kags." He held her for a moment before pushing her away. "All right, stop with the mushy stuff." Kagome saw his playful smile and giggled in response, wiping away her tears.
"Hey, Yash," Miroku called, running over to the group.
"Well, what do ya know? The lecher actually made it," Inuyasha said with his hands on his hips, causing Kagome to hit him softly in the arm.
"Yeah, well if it wasn't for Sango, I would have been here a lot sooner." The dark-haired boy heaved a few breaths as he stopped before his friends.
"Hey! It's not my fault my kickboxing class ran late!" The brunette showed up seconds later, a scowl implemented on her face. She folded her arms across her chest and her bottom lip jutted out in a pout.
Miroku glanced at the gray, form-fitting tank-top and black lounge pants. "And the lessons are paying off quite well, I assure."
The comment earned him a slap across the face. "Give it a rest already, would you?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Oh, Sango, just for one moment can you reveal your true feelings of love to me?"
"I don't love you!" the brunette screamed, clenching her hands into fists at her sides as her eyes burned with rage.
"Whatever you say, Sango," Kagome mumbled, waving aside the death glare her friend threw her. "Hey, where's Kouga?" she asked suddenly, noticing his absence.
"Who cares? I don't want to see that flea bag." Just as Kagome opened her mouth to reprimand him for using such language against her friend, she was interrupted.
"Inuyasha, let's go!" InuTaisho's voice rumbled through the quaint neighborhood. The four friends winced from the volume before turning their eyes to the young boy.
"See ya," Miroku said, his face solemn. Mushin, his guardian, stood a few paces back with a bottle of sake in one hand as he beckoned Miroku to follow.
Sango came up and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's waist. "Take care," she whispered in his ear. "And don't you dare forget about us." She gave him a playful glare before waving goodbye and running off to her parents and little brother.
Inuyasha looked at the girl before him, his heart clenching in pain. "Don't worry about me, Inuyasha." Kagome wrapped her slender arms around his torso. "You'll always be my best friend. Never forget that." She closed her eyes, trying to pretend it was all a dream. That her best friend, since before she could remember, wasn't moving halfway around the world.
But when he wrapped his arms around her, Kagome knew this was no dream. It was a nightmare; one she would never wake up from. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Don't cry," Inuyasha pleaded. "I'll keep in touch, I promise. And I'll visit as much as I can." He gave her a half-hearted smile while wiping away a stray tear.
She faked a smile in response and stepped away from him. "Goodbye, Inuyasha."
"Bye, Kagome." With those parting words, he backed up to the limo awaiting them. InuTaisho ushered his wife and eldest son into the sleek black limousine before sliding in himself. Inuyasha took one last glance at the parting crowd before shutting the door behind him.
He shifted in his seat to stare out the back window as the car slowly pulled away. The windows were tinted so no one could see him from the outside. His eyes, however, could see the young girl standing at the edge of the street. Kagome stood on her tip-toes, waving her hand drastically in the air above her head. Tears streamed down her sunshine face and her lips formed in a pout. He absentmindedly waved back, the threat of tears building in his eyes.
Kagome continued to wave until the car drove out of sight. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and glanced up into her mother's kind eyes. "Come on, Kagome," she cooed, soothing her child's aching heart. "Let's go inside." She grasped her daughter's hand and led the grieving girl up the long flight of stairs to their family shrine.
A man waited, his eyes full of concern, as he knelt down to embrace his daughter. Her five-year-old brother looked on curiously beside them. "He's … he's coming back, right daddy?" The man only made shushing noises, trying not to upset the already distraught girl.
"Someday, Kaggie, someday." The small family of four entered the humble abode, closing the door behind them.
