Inuyasha: Upon A Wishing Well
General Description: They went their separate ways once Naraku was defeated – the thread that held them together was severed. When the sudden bond returns, these five threads join together. (InuKag).
Detailed Description: Naraku was defeated – Kagome chose to go home, Inuyasha chose to grieve Kikyo forever, Sango decided to find other taijiya, and Miroku chose to create his own family. The bond that held them together, their hatred for Naraku, dissipated and left them separated.
It is in Kagome's time that she finds this bond, unknowingly, festering in the form of her childhood playmate. Will it lead her back to the Feudal Era?
OOC Note: This is fanfiction that takes place before the series ends. Everyone goes their own ways. There is an original character, but she is not entirely original. It will be interesting, and it won't take up too much of your time to read. My main ship is InuKag for this.
Chapter One: Five Paths, One Bond.
It's been six years since I was a fifteen year old girl in Tokyo. I've graduated University, I know English and I'm going to register for a nursing program in Tokyo now.. and yet, I still feel like that little girl. I miss somethings.. and other things, I don't miss. Being here, outside of the shrine, gives me these weird feelings.
I feel like a runaway coming home.
Four bags out of the Uber she took from the airport to the city. She couldn't drag them all at once, so she chose the two biggest ones and dragged them over to the flight of stairs leading up to the shrine. The Higurashi Shrine still looked as new as it had several years ago. The sights and sounds of the Shrine filled her ears. Birds chirping, people visiting the statuettes inside. Her smile came slowly, at the sight of Sota helping people dressed in priest's robes. Her mother was standing near the door, and finally spotted her. She waved her over, and Kagome's heart took a leap.
Sota came over, took some of the bags, and helped her inside. She was sitting across from her entire family, in the same warm setting of a middle-class Tokyo home. Grandpa, Sota, Mom and Buyo were almost the same, even if she wasn't. It made her feel better. Sota sprouted up, and reached up higher than her. Grandpa looked the same, and mom had finally grown her hair out to be beautiful at her shoulders. Altogether, when she saw the changes, it made her glad. Time didn't stop for her, it went on. But it went on in a way that was familiar for her.
"I'll have Sota put your things in your old room," her mom said. "I've made your favourites for dinner. I hope you don't mind Japanese food.. you must be so used to American cuisine.." "—Oh no! I missed you cooking so much," Kagome disagreed. "I can't wait to try everything! Thank you so much."
"Hey sis, I saw that you aren't listed on Greg's profile as a girlfriend," her brother teased.
"We didn't break up, we're taking a break. It's different!" she disagreed.
Over and over, questions were thrown at her. What's a break? How was graduation? Did she go to convocation with Greg? How are her friends there? Did she ever see the President? How is she going to find a place to stay close to downtown Tokyo? And on and on.
It was evening by the time she managed to get away and lie down in her warm bed. Surrounded by yellow sheets and pink walls. Her head lulled to one side, and her breathing slowed down. Time seemed to still..
Until she felt oddly awake. And the jetlag crawled through her like morphine. She sat up, let out a frustrated growl, and then covered her face with pillows. She turned over, laid on her side, tried to cover her ears. But it didn't help. The sleep never came back, and she was forced to confront the truth at last. She was still functioning in Eastern Standard Time. She couldn't sleep!
Without anything else to do, she stood up and headed downstairs. Her family was still gathered there, with Sota and Mom discussing something. When she came down, attention briefly came to her. "Oh, honey! I thought you were asleep," her mom started. "Did we wake you?" "No, I have jetlag," she admitted. "I thought I'd come down and see what you were doing."
She sat down, afraid of the questions barrelling at her. But they didn't come. Instead, they seemed almost concerned that she was here. "What's wrong? Did I interrupt something?" she asked. Her insides crumbled at the idea that they had secret meetings she couldn't be invited to. Did they really forget her so much? Was she unnecessary? Her feet bunched together, and she felt bitterness in her. Until her mother reached out and put a hand on her knee. Her kind smile, her warm eyes, reminded Kagome of home. She was home, and no one would hurt her here. "No, sweetie.. I'll explain," she said. "We were talking about how to tell you this, since you just came back. But you seem to happy. It would be a shame to ruin it now.."
Kagome didn't understand.
Finally, her mother sat beside her. A lot closer than she had when Kagome came home. "You had a childhood playmate, the girl from the Shrine a few blocks away, remember?" she was asked.
Kagome had to think this time. But her mind took her back to her childhood. A little five year old, running through grassy plains of another Shrine. This one had no stairs leading up to it. It was in an area full of greenery. They had cherry blossoms and a beautiful altar. She used to go dressed in a sweater and a skirt, and be chased around by a girl in a smaller version of the hakama that a priestess would wear. In her mind, that girl had long dark hair, and she looked happy. Kagome remembered how the girl was so proper, even for a five year old. She was the one Kagome was jealous of as a child, since she looked radiant..
She remembered it now. "I remember!" she exclaimed, seemingly drawn out of that childhood. It had been so long ago, and after her father passed away, they seemingly had no contact with that shrine. From how little she remembered, the girl had to take the burden of becoming the priestess, and her training was more important than anything. Kagome never saw her again.
"Well.. they had a tragic accident a few years ago. The shrine caught fire," her mother started. "An accident?! Is.. did the family survive?" was her first question.
"Yes.. well, Maiko survived. But no one else did. And she's been very weak since then. They believe she may die soon."
Gone in an instance was the happy looking girl from Kagome's mind. She didn't know how to feel – bad for not remembering someone who was so important to her as a child, or bad for knowing that someone was going through so much suffering as she left Tokyo. She looked to the ground, then at her mother. "Can I go see her?" she asked.
Her mother agreed, it was a good idea.
Leaving the Shrine so early in the day felt like night time. Kagome had to watch the sun rise, and all the time she felt sleepy. Her eyes drifted open and close. Her legs felt wobbly. She could recall someone saying to sleep through the night no matter what, but after hearing the news about this other Shrine, she couldn't sleep. Her mind recalled other bad memories. She didn't know what to think. She stepped outside after her mother told her where to go. The Ishiguro Shrine wasn't far from theirs, just a short walk. She was told she might not see it right away. It had poor construction and much of the greenery never came back to the shrine after the accident. Maiko, although still the shrine priestess, required too much rest to do her duties and functions. It wasn't a place for life. They hoped Kagome could give her some hope. Kagome hoped she could too.
At first, her steps took her past one of the buildings on their property. She could have dashed down the stairs. But she stopped when she saw the building door, locked shut. Her eyed narrowed, a familiarity dawning on her. She didn't step towards it, although her stomach lurched at the idea of opening those doors. Her head turned to the other side of the Higurashi Shrine property, to the sight of a large tree towering over everything. Her hands clasped into fists.. her eyes felt blurry.
So it was still here, all these years later. The reminder of why she chose a University in another country. To find a new her, to move on. It was as if time had not touched either of these landmarks. They stood intimidating. She wandered over to the tree, hand reaching out to press to the trunk. A spot where something had notched the old wood made her lean in. Her fingers quivered, eyes closed.
And a tear raced down her cheeks.
"Hey.. everyone, it's me, Kagome. I'm back. I did it, I got my degree. I'll start working soon too. I know you guys would be so proud. I wish I could bandage all of your wounds, Sango.. And I'd shout at Miroku for you too. You probably have kids by now.. And Shippo. I wish I could bring you all of the sweets from New York. They have chocolate with caramel.. you'd love it. And.."
Here, she felt choked up. Her head leaned against the old wood. Her throat became dry. She tried to picture him. Silver hair, red haori and all, wandering the village. Chopping wood for Kaede, maybe. "A-and Inuyasha.. I know you're probably okay. But I'd bring you ramen, and everything," she whispered. "I know you don't miss me.. but I miss you. Every day, of every second. I know I can't forget you, even if you've forgotten me.. So I just want you to know I'm back. I—"
"Kagome?" came her mother's voice. She turned around and watched her mother, frowning, looking at her from a distance. It was embarrassing. How much had she heard? How much did she know about how she felt? Kagome wanted to run. She turned away, waved, and said she'd be back soon. She could never tell her mother how much she missed them. The life she had as a young girl in the Feudal Era was one that was impossible to go back to now.
It was true. Kagome had not been down the path to the Ishiguro shrine in all of her memorable time. Ever since her father passed away, she only remembered being busy with her own life. She had few memories of him, and fewer still of Maiko Ishigura. In Kagome's memories, she was a pretty five year old, who was a year older than Kagome. She had dark hair, pale features and naturally pretty red lips. She was the kind of doll Kagome wanted as a child. When the visits to the shrine stopped, Kagome forgot all about that playmate.
There was a winding path to the Shrine, with many familiar landmarks. The playground she went to often with Ayumi, Eri and Yuka up until she became a teenager – the Wacdonalds that she loved eating at. It was all here, but the Ishiguro Shrine was a place they never went to. Why go to another Shrine when you're living in the most important one in the area? She could feel the wind in her hair, still down her back, and still styled to look perfect on her petite frame. She could feel eyes on her, until someone finally called out. Turning to the park, she noticed three girls crowded over a bench. One had a baby in her arms, with cute brown hair. Kagome stopped, had to inhale, and then noticed the features all familiar. "Ayumi, Eri and Yuka!" she shouted, in greeting. Her hand lifted, and she waved at them.
She couldn't expect them to run over, so she naturally ran over instead. The park felt warm and familiar. "Kagome, you're back! You should have told us," Eri scolded. Yuka hugged her first, and slowly the three of them felt as if time had eased back.
She told them about America, about how she loved University. She even mentioned her ex-boyfriend, who she was planning to visit over the summer. Life changed between the three of them.. As time went on, they kept talking.
And the sun started to droop. But they continued to talk.
By the time she realised it was evening, she knew it was late and the Shrine might be closed. Still, she'd been told the caretaker would be waiting for her visit.
She waved goodbye to her friends, and Ayumi's baby, and headed down the path towards the shrine. It looked less and less like any path in their area, and more like somewhere in a poorer part of Tokyo. Finally, the Shrine, located on ground level, became visible to her. It was a Shrine, but the surroundings were so poor that it seemed less and less likely anyone would visit. The sunset only made it all the more eerie.
The Shrine had visible burn marks, although it had been rebuilt to a functionable stage. Whoever took care of this Shrine was dedicated, but could not handle the terrible damage to everything. Kagome's insides felt strange, and she felt an odd weakness here. Her step towards it revealed nothing but fear in her.
At long last, she reached out to the door to the prayer room, only to stop at the sound of someone coughing inside. She hesitated, and finally opened it. The woman standing near the altar, burning incense, looked too frail to do so. Kagome's glance reminded her of how the beautiful woman appeared almost like Kikyo, her past self.. Pale skin, long hair, fragile figure, long fingers. Kagome could not see her face, but the beautiful white and red hakama was enough to tell her this was Maiko, her childhood playmate, who had not recovered after the tragic accident that killed her family.
Maiko was a shrine maiden. The thought made Kagome's life fall into perspective. At the age of fifteen, she had discovered she had spiritual powers. She learned that in her past life she had been a shrine maiden, doomed to die a tragic life. Since then, Kagome had considered the likelihood of her becoming a shrine maiden. If she had stayed in the Feudal Era, the possibility was almost entirely certain. She could have replaced Kaede, she could have been by Inuyasha's side.. playing with Sango and Miroku's children, visiting places they travelled together. In her mind, it was a future she saw because of what she was.
Now, she knew that maybe it hadn't been all chance. She had been visiting a girl who was going to be a Shrine Maiden too. She had known about this kind of a life as a child. So how did it come to a point where the elegant woman before her had been forgotten? Did Maiko have spiritual abilities?
Kagome had sensed them in the past. Whenever Kikyo, or a negative being was around, she sensed it. The more she looked at Maiko, the more her strong spiritual energy came visible. But it also made her feel something worse.. Like, her stomach had felt this before.
As soon as she had started to approach, the woman gave a cough. Black, red liquid sputtered onto the ground. She did not have the opportunity to turn around, and instead fell backwards. Kagome came forward in time to kneel and cushion her fall. Indeed, the pale, pretty girl in Kagome's arms was similar in features to the one Kagome remembered in her childhood. Slightly wavy dark hair, delicate features – she was everything and nothing like the girl Kagome remembered. Kagome's hand moved to her mouth, brushing over her features, and took in the red blood staining her lip.
When someone came running in, Kagome helped lift Maiko. The man, clearly her caretaker, helped take Maiko into the residential building. Like Kagome's home, it was located on Shrine grounds. They took her into a bedroom upstairs, with a sliding traditional door. This place had been remade, but there was still scarring of the old fire. Kagome saw it in this room, that was painted gray and lacked any sort of real decoration. Compared to her memories, this shrine was disturbingly lacking. In this room, she felt the worst. She watched the caretaker clean Maiko's face, press a wet cloth to her forehead and then put ointment on her. She saw how the clock ticked slowly, and then finally the way the caretaker beckoned her out. The door was closed, and she was lead back downstairs.
In Kagome's mind, something did not settle well. The further she was from Maiko, the more she understood the presence was not lingering. It felt like.. a bad spirit.
She sat down in the seating area, with the caretaker, who served her tea in an old styled cup. "My name is Taro, I'm her caretaker," he explained, sipping his tea. Kagome politely sipped hers, but missed the taste of Starbucks tea. "What's wrong with her? Why is she so sick?" Kagome asked.
"We don't know.. Her insides were damaged in the fire, and she never healed. I don't think she is long for this world. It's tragic, she was a talented priestess."
"What happened in the fire? I haven't been here in so long.. it used to be so beautiful," she lamented.
Taro seemed to pause, for a minute, then lifted his cup to his mouth. "No one knows what happened. One day, a fire started in Maiko's room.. it killed everyone, save for Maiko, who jumped out of her window with her brother," Taro answered. Kagome tried to remember a brother, but couldn't. The entire situation sounded saddening. "This shrine is built over the estate of a wealthy lord of from the Feudal times," Taro lamented, sadly. "To see so much history burned away.. With no cause of the fire. It was shameful. Lady Maiko has never been the same since.."
Kagome lowered her cup, and then glanced around the room. She was rusty, but she could see no signs of demons here. Nothing to make her feel a negative presence. Maybe it was just the knowledge that people died here. Maybe it was knowing someone was dying, that really upset her. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if her family died. "Did her brother live? I don't remember hearing about that," she asked.
"Ah.. No, he died in her arms. It's no wonder Lady Maiko is so melancholy. She loved her brother more than herself," Taro answered. "Anyway, she won't be awake for at least the night. Would you like a tour of the shrine?"
In her mind, the open field and the trees reminded her of the Feudal Era. By the time she had finished the tour, she said she wanted to stop and pray. But the reality was, she needed a break from the thoughts of sadness. But truthfully, she didn't know how she could see Maiko's fate as any different from her own.
She lost loved ones too, just not the same way.
"A miko has to be alone," she decided, aloud. "Even though I never became one, I still ended up alone. Like Kikyo, I could never have Inuyasha.."
She stopped to kneel in the shrine room, hands folded, and took in the vast emptiness. She took in the smell of incense, the way the room was just eclipsed in dark.
It wasn't until something moved that she stood up, and took in a spider crawling over an idol. Eyebrows furrowed, and she took a step back. That's big. We don't get spiders like those here..
It crawled up the idol and behind it, but not before it stopped. Kagome's heart raced again. Since when was she afraid of spiders? Probably never. But after so much time away from things in Japan, even a little spider seemed monumental. Her shaking hands moved to pick up her purse, while she turned away from the idol. That negative feeling felt increased here, in this holy room. Nothing in this shrine seemed connected to purity at all. In this place, Kagome saw death, disturbances and even more despair. People who lived in shrines were supposed to be healthy and happy.
Kagome wanted to go, quickly. So she walked out and dialed for an Uber. When she turned back, at the sound of something moving at distance in the house, she spotted the pale Maiko, in white linen, watching her from the doorway.
She didn't know what to say or do. The way she stared made Kagome nervous. She lifted her hand, and attempted to wave, but felt it was inappropriate somehow. The way Maiko looked on, with no expression, reminded her of something she didn't like.
Her Uber arrived, the window shade closed, and Kagome turned to bound off of the shrine property.