Outside of Earshot
I waited for the night of the new moon to pull Kagome aside. I patiently waited for Inuyasha's claws to sheathe into ordinary blunt fingertips, until his snowy mane darkened into inky strands, until his fangs disappeared into his mouth and his strength waned. More importantly, I waited for his canine ears to shrink into his skull and be replaced by fleshy human ears with ordinary human hearing.
Always paranoid on these shadowy nights, Inuyasha was perched in a tree, as usual. It was where he felt safest and where he acted as a sentry for the group. I glanced at Sango. The warrior woman was dressed for battle, polishing her hiraikotsu. Though she seemed absorbed in her task, I saw her eyes flickering around the campsite perimeters. Kiara lay by her feet, small head tucked neatly into her tiny paws.
Good. I trusted Kiara's nose and instincts. If she was at ease, there must not be anything nearby. Still, I knew to keep my guard up and gripped my staff a little bit tighter. Just in case. I knew how much we usually rely on Inuyasha. On the night of a new moon, it was imperative to keep our eyes open. We would not be getting much sleep tonight.
My eyes slid to Kagome and Shippo. Except for him. Kagome was tucking her pup into her sleeping roll. While she would be up all night, she refused Shippo's pleas to join her. "You may as well rest up, since the rest of us won't," she told him earlier. "And I won't take no for an answer." He protested some, but now he was already half asleep. Kagome would make a wonderful mother one day.
For a moment, I wistfully thought of having children myself. I am old enough to have a son - older than many first time fathers in fact. Or maybe it just seemed that way to me. But the weight of beads wrapped around my hand was more effective than any painful slap I may get at stopping my desire in its tracks. I could never force my child to watch his father die from a curse, knowing that he would be next. Not like I did. Maybe one day…
I shook my head. No use dreaming about the future yet. And I had a conversation to have.
"Lady Kagome," I called softly. "A word please". Acquiescing, Kagome nodded and followed me to the edge of the clearing we'd set up camp in - opposite from where Inuyasha roosted for the night and out of his earshot. I shot a look at Inuyasha to prove to myself the distance. While he was barely paying attention to us, I still felt apprehensive. Odd to think he would not hear us when it was a trifling distance any other time.
"You wanted to talk?" Kagome gently interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes. I…well, this is about the fight you had with Inuyasha two days ago. And last week. And the previous one." I started.
"You mean him not letting me go home for the first time in months?" Kagome's blue eyes flashed in anger as she tossed her hair back. "I just want to visit home for a few days. I have exams to make up, I haven't spoken to Mama in such a long time - I know she gets worried. I haven't seen my friends, and it's not like I wouldn't be getting anything for you guys. You know I always come back loaded with supplies. With his speed, it'd barely take any more time away from the jewel hunting. You agree with me, don't you?"
Ah, I did not want to get in the middle of their argument. Just...clarify it.
"It seems like a fair request from your perspective, Lady Kagome. However, I have had the, ah, privilege of hearing Inuyasha's perspective on the matter, along with having my own. I think I need to explain something to you so you can understand the other side. Something that is difficult for Inuyasha to do." That put it lightly. Inuyasha had less tact than a drunken lecher. I would know.
"Inuyasha goes to you for advice?" Was that all Kagome took out of that?
"You wound me," I said, clutching a hand to my chest in mock pain. "He respects me. Occasionally he will seek me out for a friendly ear to listen. I try to advise him, but he ignores my suggestions just as often as he follows them. He would not appreciate me telling you this. Any of this." I furrowed my brows.
"So keep this on the down low. Gotcha," Kagome said. Down low? I suppose she meant she will keep quiet. "But why tell me, if he wouldn't want you to?"
"Well, to give you his perspective."
"I already know it," she argued. "He wants us to collect the jewels as quickly as possible. Tomorrow wouldn't be fast enough for him. He wants Naraku dead yesterday. Any trips I take home is a solid waste of time in his books." She sighed, scratching her head.
"Look, you don't really understand, and how could you? It's completely different here than in my time. Exams are super important. School is super important. I'll never get anywhere in life if I don't do well. And I don't do well because I run around here, getting my hands dirty in yokai guts with no time to study while 'suffering' from whatever stupid disease Gramps tells everyone I have this week."
"And that is part of the problem," I gently butted in.
"What? Dying of dysentery?"
"What? No." What is dysentery anyway? "No - the part about you never getting anywhere in life. That these exams are so important to you."
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "And what do you mean by that? Is it a problem that I have ambition?" Her hands clenched into fists. "Does he want me to fail? Do you want me to fail?" This conversation was not going the way I wanted. I wheeled back a bit.
"No! Yes. Maybe." My eyes widened as Kagome's eyes darkened dangerously. "Please listen first. Let me explain."
"You have five minutes." she said.
"You are very dear to us. When you talk about exams and the rest of your life, you tell us we have no part of it. We are not your future. You do not even consider staying here after the quest is over. And that is fair, and your decision. Still, it is hurtful. We are...temporary." The taste ran sour in my mouth. "Inuyasha partly feels as though keeping you here will influence your decision to stay here."
Kagome's anger dissipated completely and worry took over. She lowered her gaze, and I was slightly taken aback at how compassionate she was. I should not have been, but many would not deem others attitudes as their problem. Yet Kagome shouldered them on like nothing.
"You said partly," Kagome frowned. "and unlike you or Shippo or Sango, he can reach me on the other side of the well. And I can always come to visit. Still, I hadn't realized that my careless words were hurting any of you."
"Partly, yes" I agreed. "The other part lies with the concern over the enchantment of the well itself." I paced the ground once, twice, before stopping.
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.
"Well, why is there a portal in time? Who or what put it there, and when will it disappear?" I took a moment to listen to the wind whistling through the leaves as Kagome pondered the question.
"Inuyasha's come to me several times about this. He asked if I could figure anything about the well - if the power would disappear once whatever the reason it sent you here is finished or if each trip drained power from the well's enchantment. To put it bluntly, he is terrified that one day you will go through the well and never return with him stuck here trying to reach you and failing. If it were merely distance, he would go to you no matter how far you are, but there is no getting around time. We know the well's powers can be stopped by plugging it with physical objects. How else might it be stopped?"
"And," she cleared her throat and tried again. "And do you know which is the case?"
"I am afraid not, my lady. There are no visible inscriptions carved on the well itself, no sutras bound to it. The well glows when being used, but if there is any sign of what powers it, I cannot tell. Perhaps someone with more skill than I could determine that, though I would not know who to go to." I had spent days poring over every angle of the well the last time Kagome had gone on one of her visits. Inuyasha had been my shadow, eager to hear any news about the reliability and durability of the enchantment. Alas, I could provide him nothing. I sighed.
"Even if he waited for you, survived and waited 500 years for you, he would be a very different person and you would be exactly the same. Keeping you from going home is a way to protect himself from a possible broken heart."
She was unnaturally still for moment. Frozen. She had never really thought this out before, I knew. She just accepted the world for what it laid out before her and joyously went forth to meet its challenges.
"Are you saying…" she whispered.
"Yes." I answered. She was pale now, eyes wide and unblinking as my words impacted her. I knew it was a lot to take in, and perhaps I shouldn't have loaded it all on her at one time, but the next chance to talk would not be guaranteed for another month. And besides, if this would in any way convince her to stay with us, I would... not be unhappy.
"I don't know what to say," she said
"You do not have to. Not yet. But please, Lady Kagome. Think about it."
We were a little rag tag group and we only survive and flourish because we have her at our center. I do not know how well we stack up to all the temptations of the future. I know of her friends, her family (and I know the rest of us would want nothing more than to have our family around us again. At least the loving ones, in Inuyasha's case). I know of the pure wealth of knowledge available there, of the strange but wonderful contraptions that make life so easy.
I turned and walked back to the camp, sitting beside Sango, who gave me a curious look. I smiled weakly and shook my head. She frowned, but let it be. Kagome staggered behind me, heading toward Shippo, who was now gently snoring away, arms askew.
"Oy," Inuyasha called out. "You gonna faint now wench?" I translated it silently. 'Are you alright?'
"I'm fine" Kagome answered.
"Sure. What did the bozo say to you?" 'I will not allow anyone to hurt you.'
"Nothing - just gave me a lot to think about."
"Well, don't think too hard. You'll hurt yourself." 'I do not like it when you are sad'
Kagome narrowed her eyes. "I'll try not to," she bit back.
"And don't get distracted," he snarled. 'I cannot protect you tonight. Stay aware. Stay safe.'
Silence fell for a few minutes. Sango watched the remains of the small fire burning in the center. A necessary evil - we simple humans need light to see and stars are not enough.
Hesitantly, Kagome spoke. "About the well…" she was quiet now.
"Feh - I'll take you tomorrow you damn bitch," he interrupted. "So stop yer whining." 'Even though it scares me, I will do this for you.'
Kagome's eyes widened and a small hesitant smile broke across her face. "Thank you," she said.
"Whatever" he huffed. 'I love you.'
Kagome blushed deeply and quickly turned away to fuss at Shippo. I suppose she now heard his real meaning behind her caustic words. Smiling, I took a breath and placed one hand on top of Sango's.
8/5/14
I got inspired for this one shot all of a sudden. Hope you guys enjoyed reading. Not too much action (or any, really), but sometimes all you need is a deep conversation to make you think. Miroku can be a comedic relief with his perversions, but he's definitely got a serious, wise side to him which was interesting to explore. I left it a bit open ended, but I like the way it came out. As usual, I own none of this.