A/N: I am really sorry that I haven't updated in a while! And I'm very sorry to tell you all that I have not started to write the next chapter yet. My apologies for the inconvenience. I just got home 3 days ago from visiting my dad in Alabama…so, yeah. And I have the worst case of writer's block I have had in my life. I just made a few corrections to the end of this chapter. I will hopefully begin writing the next chapter soon!
Chapter 2: Hikokoro's Memories
Kouhei stood up, rubbing his arm where he had landed on it. He looked around him, and covered his nose. He looked around the well, and saw nothing but bones. The whole well itself smelled horribly of decaying flesh.
'What happened?' he looked up only to be blinded by bright rays of sunlight. 'But…the well house—'
He gasped in horror. 'That's it! I fell through the well! But…mom said it had sealed itself up…'
A rush of hope coursed through his blood as he looked around frantically for a way out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what appeared to be and old, rotting, rope ladder. He hurried to it and carefully pulled on it to make sure it would hold his weight. 'Yes!' he thought excitedly as he scrambled out of the well. He had no idea why he was so excited, but he just felt…connected to this place somehow.
As soon as he climbed over the lip of the well, he noticed that he had somehow ended up in a small clearing, surrounded by trees. He continued to walk, taking in every scent and every sight that reached his senses. He walked straight forward until the trees seemed to be spreading apart, revealing a small village. Children frolicked about, playing games of tag and hide-and-seek. The women walked to the small stream nearby, collecting water in small clay pots. Men and boys worked out in the fields, just across the stream. He pushed past the branches, taking in a full view of the small village.
"Inuyasha?" a voice called from right behind him. He turned around to see a girl about his age, with long black hair pulled back high on her head in a long ponytail, and chocolate brown eyes. He smiled and shook his head. Her cheeks turned red when she saw him, and she looked down and muttered a soft 'Oh'. An uncomfortable silence followed. He soon broke it by saying, "I'm Kouhei." He held out his hand for her to shake it.
She looked up at him with wide eyes that were filled with a mixture of happiness and disbelief. She took his hand slowly, and as she did so, pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Now he was confused. "Kouhei!" she cried joyously. "I didn't know it was you!"
"Ow…" he muttered, his lungs screaming for air.
"Oh, sorry…" she said, blushing again. She quickly let go of him. "Um…you probably don't remember me…" she held out her hand, "I'm Hikokoro."
'Hikokoro…'
XXXxxxx Flashback xxxxXXX
"Hey Kouhei!" a two year old Hikokoro called after him. "Wait up!"
Kouhei stopped running after the small two-tailed cat and ran to greet his friend. "Hi Hikokoro! You're a little early…and dad's still not back yet…"
"Hmph…he's always late!" she said, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. "Hey—"
"Kouhei! Hikokoro!" a voice called from behind the two. Kouhei turned around to see his father running at him from the forest, an apologetic look on his face and slightly out of breath.
"Daddy!" Kouhei cried, jumping into his arms. "Come on, let's go, no time to waste!"
"But—"
"Hurry up Daddy! I'll race you to the river!"
Kouhei jumped quickly from his father's arms, and took off running as fast as his little legs would carry him, which for his age, was pretty darn fast.
"But—"
"Hurry!" Inuyasha sighed and took off after his son, slowing down occasionally to make sure he lost the race.
"Hey wait!" Hikokoro called after the two hanyous, running to Kirara and jumping on her back as soon as she transformed. "Hey, you guys!"
XXXxxxx End Flashback xxxxXXX
"Kouhei? Are you…okay?" Hikokoro asked, waving her hand in his face.
"Huh? Oh, just remembering...something about going to the river with my dad..."
"You remembered that? That seemed like forever ago…" she laughed, tapping her chin.
"Yeah, it did," he agreed. But his mind was too caught on his father to think about the time he had spent with his friends. "Hey Hikokoro…do you know where…" his voice trailed off. He was very afraid of her answer.
"Yes?"
"Do you know where my father is?" The look on her face immediately saddened, and her eyes swelled with tears.
"He's not here…" she managed before she broke down completely. He hugged her tightly, tears threatening to blind him. He was almost afraid to ask:
"W-what…what happened?" she sobbed even harder into his chest, hugging him back.
"I...It's a long story…" she said, pulling away from him and wiping her tears with the sleeve of her blue and black kimono.
"Well, doesn't look like I'm leaving anytime soon. Tell me everything," he told her firmly.
XXXxxxx Hikokoro's Flashback xxxxXXX
Hikokoro sat on her front porch, debating whether or not to go and retrieve her uncle.
'He's been sitting by that well for days…' she thought sadly. It had been at least a week since her aunt Kagome and her best friend, Kouhei and his sister Kinunari, had left. When a day had passed, her Uncle had grown worried and gone after her. But when he had tried to jump down the well, it wouldn't let him through. He had tried numerous times, but ended with nothing.
It had been almost eight days since then. He had been sitting by the well, waiting for any sign of their return. They were his family, after all.
She finally made up her mind and began walking in the direction of the well. She walked through the thick forest, unable to see as well, as it was growing darker.
"Uncle 'Yasha? Are you there?" she whispered quietly. She squinted through the darkness, noticing only a flash of bright pink light, then him standing before her, his eyes glinting blood red through the pitch-black of night. She gasped in horror, turned, and ran from him.
'What happened to him?' she thought. She ran for her life, terrified of the figure that was slowly catching up to her, her tears blinding her and slowing her down. "Mommy! Daddy!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She silently begged for any means of rescue now.
A swift swirl of air caught her attention and she stopped briefly to see Inuyasha, knocked out cold against a tree, and a Hiraikotsu whiz past her head. "Hikokoro!" Sango called.
"Mommy!" she cried again, jumping into the protection of her mother's arms, the tears finally falling. Sango held her daughter closely, staring at Inuyasha with wide and shocked eyes.
She clearly noticed the two jagged blue marks on his cheeks…
"Hikokoro, what happened?" Miroku asked.
"I went to get Uncle Inuyasha, and I saw a light, and then…th-then he attacked me daddy!" she sobbed into Sango's shoulder. They knew immediately what he had done…
He had used the Shikon no Tama to become a youkai. There was definitely no turning back now.
XXXxxxx End Flashback xxxxXXX
"I didn't see him again after that…mom told me that by using the Sacred Jewel he had become nothing but a violent, mindless…killer. I'm really sorry, Kouhei…" she finished. He couldn't believe his ears.
"No…" he muttered. "No." He stood up and stalked off into the forest. He refused to believe her words.
He walked deeper and deeper until he came to a nice tall tree to sit in. 'Might as well try it…' he thought as he crouched down low, bending his knees and readying himself to jump. He pushed from the ground, and was amazed at his own speed. Not to mention how high he went. He nestled into the leaves of the tall tree, sitting quite comfortably on the thin branch. Hikokoro's words played over and over in his head.
A violent, mindless…killer. He shook his head to rid of it. How was it possible? Surely he couldn't have…
He suddenly felt a strange burst of energy, nothing he had ever felt before, and looked around frantically for the cause.
"Who's there?" he demanded to the area surrounding him.
As soon as he had spoken, a man stepped clear into his vision, looking somewhat sullen. He had on a red haori, and red hakamas. He had long, silver hair, and white dog-ears, very much like his sisters', and along each of his cheeks was a jagged blue stripe. He knew that this strange man was a demon.
"Who are you?" he demanded. The man looked up and gave a guilty, half-hearted smile. Kouhei gasped when their eyes met.
His eyes…they were exactly like his.
"Who are you?" he demanded again. The look in his eyes saddened further. Kouhei took a closer look into his brightly lit golden orbs. Then it hit him.
"Dad?"
