I hate this… I hate life… Why'd this have to happen? Why couldn't it have been me? I should have been the one to die, I deserve to die. Mama did everything for me, and Souta. I took for granted the blessed things she gave to me - to everyone, even Inu-yasha. ((A/N: Im going to start writing his name like in the manga. Heads up!))
Kagome thought these morbid thoughts as she lay in her hospital bed. She hadn't slept a wink since she awoke from her coma yesterday. The memories would just flash into her dreams, causing nightmares.
Kagome glanced over to her left, to see a sleeping Inu-yasha. So peaceful, Kagome thought. He brought his left knee up onto the chair, and rested his right arm on it, where his head rested. He wore a black baseball cap, which Gramps had given him last night. She found herself smiling upon the sleeping hanyou.
"You handled what I handled. How could you have gone on at all. And you were so young when Izayoi-sama passed on." Kagome whispered.
On cue, Inu-yasha stirred from his sleep, and looked up at Kagome. He could easily tell she hasn't slept. Inu-yasha yawned. As he stretched, he asked, "What was it you were saying about Mother? He looked over at Kagome, and saw small little bags under her eye, proving his theory on her not sleeping correct.
Kagome looked down at her sheets, her fist clenching to the blankets. Tears fell from her eyes. "It's so numb... It's so numb, Inu-yasha! How could you have handled this… This… Pain! Kagome cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. She focused on her blankets, not wanting to see the look on Inu-yashas face. Anger? Sadness? It was quiet on his side of the room.
Arms wrapped around Kagome, making her silence her cries, turning them into hiccups. Inu-yasha tightened his hold on Kagome, and stroked the back of her head. "Shah… Kagome, you have to move on. Your mother gave you a life, live it to its fullest. Inu-yasha told her.
"You say it like its so simply. It's not, Inu-yasha. It's not!" She clung to Inu-yashas red haori, and started crying again, this time into his torso. Its so warm, Kagome thought.
Outside the room, in the courtyard, was a huge, somewhat terrifying, oak tree. It stood watch over this scene, of abandonment, of despair… Of entertainment. On the top branch of the oak, stood a female, wearing a silky blue kimono, that cut off at mid-thigh , and it's sleeves hung loose on the side.((A/N: Basically, its a silk blue version of Yura of the Hairs outfit, and it has long, long sleeves))
"Ha ha ha. It worked. M'lord will be pleased. Ever so pleased. She sneered as she watched Inu-yasha comfort Kagome. "Low blood sinks to it's level. Yes, it certainly does indeed. Her emerald green eyes opened wide as she thought, Your blood is mine, Inu-yasha! And that pathetic mortal will watch in terror!
She rose her left hand, as though she were ready to strike. Chii! Stop this instant. Do you not know they are looking for you? A males voice said coldly.
"Oh, tsk tsk. You are a troublesome one, Naraku. Let me handle this. You did give me a good sliver of the jewel. I'll be able to end Inu-yasha and that wretched mortal's life right now, and no one would even lift a finger. Chii replied in a whisper. Her long, black hair danced in the wind as a voice returned.
Ha ha… You must return to our world. There is business I need you to attend to first, Chii. Naraku replied.
With that, Chii disappeared, only a few leaves fell in her place.
Inside the room, Inu-yasha glanced at the window, sniffing the air. All his nose could grasp for a scent was Kagomes salty tears. Damn it, Inu-yasha thought, someone was watching us… Who though?
"W-What's wrong, Inu-yasha?" Kagome asked, looking up at him. She had sleepy, tear-stained eyes. It made Inu-yasha's guts twist into one big knot. It was truly one of the seven hells to see Kagome in such pain. Inu-yasha shook his head, showing it was nothing to worry about.
"Just sleep. You need it. And I need to go to my world beyond the well for a while." Inu-yasha said, standing him. He pushed Kagome softly down, to where her head was resting on the pillow. "Sleep, Kagome. Souta will be here in a bit, so you wont be alone, okay?" He asked, pulling Kagomes blanket over her.
She smiled as she closed her eyes, "You worry too much…" As she drifted to sleep. Inu-yasha stood there, smiling upon the sleeping Kagome. She fell asleep with a smile on her face. She hadnt smiled since… Since before she told him about her father's death.
He walked out the door and looked around. Long, narrow hallways, the scent of urine and death mingled together, and Inu-yasha noted, These two scents are hell alone, together, I can die…
He sniffed his way to a big metal entrance. He sniffed the door, "What in all the hells…?" His ears perked under his hat, hearing unfamiliar noises. A creaking noise, that ceased, but then an other sound was triggered, the door opening. In the metal contraption, stood five people. Three were surgeons - to Inu-yasha, people in blue and white. Then in the back, Souta and Gramps.
Souta ran out of the metal contraption, heading straight to Kagome's room. Inu-yasha stood up straight, ready to hear what Gramps had learned. "They haven't found the other driver." Gramps said sternly.
"Driver?" Inu-yasha blinked in curiosity.
"The other person involved in the accident." Gramps saw Inu-yasha nod, acknowledging he understood. "Why were you out here?" Gramps asked, changing the subject.
"I was trying to figure out on how to get back to the house. I need to go to my world for a bit. I need to explain to our friends over there what happened. When will Kagome be able to return?" He asked.
"Um, she's released tomorrow. So, soon." Gramps smiled.
"Wait-- you're her new guardian, right?" Inu-yasha asked.
"Well, yes." Gramps nodded.
"Then, why are you letting her go?" Inu-yasha blinked, wondering why Gramps' heart changed.
"She loves it there." Gramps said bluntly, "Let me take you to the house. I was heading back there anyway, I've got a funeral to plan." Gramps sighed, pressing a button, and beckoning Inu-yasha into the elevator.
In Sengoku Jidai, a small hut was cramped with people. Well, mostly all people, there were two small demons, one a flea, who went by Myoga the flea, and one a kitsune, who went by Shippou. There was an elder miko, Kaede, a youkai exterminator, Sango, and a monk, Houshi-sama (or Miroku).
"Its nice to relax once in awhile." Miroku sighed, sipping on some herbal tea Kaede brewed earlier. His purple kimono was wrinkled, showing they had just begun recouping. Sango nodded, with Shippou in her lap, and Kirara, her two-tailed nekomata ((A/N: Cat spirit)), slept next to her.
"I wonder what Inu-yasha and Kagome are up to." Sango said happily.
"Fighting, me say." Kaede said.
Silence fell over the room as the sun fully rose. A breeze made the bamboo window open, filling the room with a feeling of despair. The room became cold all of a sudden, when a hanyou walked in. He wore a black baseball cap, and shoes like Kagome wore. He automatically forced the shoes and hat off, as he looked into the eyes of Myoga, Kaede, Sango, and Miroku. All had a look of concern. Of course, he had stitches in his head.
"What are those, M'lord?" Myoga asked, on Inu-yashas head.
"Not sure myself. Some doc-doc- guy, put 'em in my head. Don't see why, the wound is gone." Inu-yasha said, sitting down.
"Wound?" Miroku asked.
"Wheres Kagome?" Sango asked.
Inu-yasha looked down, which made everyone shiver. They all knew something wasn't right, they just had to find out what. "She was in an accident."
"How's Kagome?" Kaede asked, now very concerned.
"She's fine, shell come back when she wants. But… Its her mother, she's gone. She died the exact night her father died. So she's still in a type of emotional shock."
"How terrible." Sango looked down.
"Why are you here then? Miroku demanded.
"She needed some rest! She hasn't slept a wink since yesterday! Unless, I felt youki that disappeared. Youkai don't exist in Kagome's world, meaning something followed me." Inu-yasha explained. Miroku looked at Sango and Kaede, worried.
Inu-yasha stood up and sighed. "If there's one thing I hate, it's not knowing who's after Kagome." And with that he left. ((A/N: I know, I know, a lot of dialogue -innocent-))
A few days passed, and the Higurashi Shrine was full of people that ever knew --even MET-- Mama. On the door outside, there was a paper, on it the Japanese word, itamu, was written. Itamu means "mourning for someone's death".
People from all over Tokyo were over to visit. Everyone was wearing black, even Inu-yasha. Gramps forced him to. The funeral was tonight, because of the new moon. Inu-yasha could take the hat off, that's what Gramps and Kagome agreed to. So, basically, Inu-yasha had no say so in the fact of the matter when his weakness would be an advantage. How ironic. A youkai was following him, and he was going to be useless tonight.
Inu-yasha sat outside, next to Kagome. Kagome sighed, putting her hair in a bun, which revealed a small cut on the back of her neck, which she got when the fire fighters pulled her out of the car. She had forcefully pierced her ears when the doctors put anesthesia in her to numb what little pain her arm was causing. With the help with Souta, of course, seeing as her right hand was broken ((I think it was the right…)).
"How do you fix your hair with one hand?" Inu-yasha asked.
"You master the technique when your friend is off talking to people in an other world." Kagome forced a small smile. She could see the sadness in Inu-yasha's eyes, and that made her look down. Why is he sad? Kagome thought. She's not his mother. His mother died a long time ago…
I won't tell her, Inu-yasha thought, of the youki I keep feeling. Inu-yasha looked around and saw Souta standing next to Gramps, both in front of the casket, which had flowers all around it. Kagome hadn't looked at it once since they put Mama's casket there. Is she forcing the blame on her? Inu-yasha thought. No, she wouldn't… Would she? Inu-yasha sighed at the thought.
A little later, half of Japan stood at a cemetery, rain pounding down their backs. Inu-yasha's hat was off, and his long black hair clung to the back of the clothes he was forced to wear. Women all around Kagome and Inuyasha were crying. Some screaming out, "Why her? Why Emiko!" Which when Inu-yasha heard that, he felt Kagome grab his right arm with her left arm.
The priest spoke of how Emiko (Mama) would be dearly missed. Even those who barely knew her would feel a gaping hole in their hearts. "--She was a good friend, and an even better mother." He finished, "Now, a word from her daughter, Kagome Higurashi." He said.
Kagome bit her lip, and wished never to move. If it weren't for the certain human next to her, nudging her to move. Tears filled her eyes as she walked to the front of the crowd. She took a deep breath, pulled out a small white paper, and began speaking.
"My mother, E-Emiko Higurashi was a strong w-w-woman. Who did whatever sh-she could for those around her. She risked her life to save m-me. I, and everyone who knew her, w-will dearly miss her." Kagome said. As she said this, her hands shook, shaking the paper. She was shaking so bad, the paper tore under weakness of the rain drops and the energy of the shaking.
Inu-yasha stood up and went to Kagome's side. He wrapped an arm around Kagome, and looked over the four-block wide crowd, "That's enough! Kagome can't handle this!" Inu-yasha said. He felt Kagome collapse into his arm, which made him look to the priest. He nodded, and told everyone the last words, and said "May God bless you and all around you,", signaling it was over.
Inu-yasha lifted Kagome into his arms, and looked to Souta and Gramps, "Let's go back to the shrine." He told them. They nodded.
In the car, Kagome laid against Inu-yasha, her hair soaking his clothes. "Inu… I wanna go back tomorrow." Kagome said hoarsely.
"Back to my world?" He asked, a bit stunned.
"Yes," Kagome replied, yawning. "It'd be better to finish Naraku as soon as possible." Kagome yawned one more time and fell asleep on Inu-yasha's arm.
But Kagome, Inu-yasha thought, when he's gone, there'll be no reason for you to be by my side anymore… I don't want that to happen… Inu-yasha thought as they pulled into the driveway.
In the shadows, Chii stood there, grimacing at the lovely sight. "Bah, this is sickening…" Chii gagged. "Soon, my precious couple… Soon you will be with your kin in the afterlife…!" And with that, Chii jumped into the well behind the shrine, linking Kagome's era to Inu-yasha's era.
