A/N: Wow thanks guys for all the love which I clearly don't deserve! It really means so much getting an emails saying this story is getting reviews, favorites, and story followers.
Side note: Let's pretend the family actually DID believe Mr. Higurashi's story. I don't want to flesh out how or why, it just draws away from the main plot too much. You'll understand what I mean later.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and if I did, I'd probably make it a flying shit cake compared to the greatness that Rumiko created.
When Our Past Becomes Fleeting Memories~
"You don't have to do this." Mr. Higurashi pointed out to his quiet daughter sitting in the passenger seat. They had both decided to take off in the morning after the 2 day wait. Even though Kagome had been quiet since she heard the news of her departure, she had wanted to spend as much time with her family as possible.
Those 2 days had become an entire blur. It was all happening too fast. She forgot she was a part of conversations with her sisters, avoided eating any food prepared, and she lost the thought of how to smile to her father; the man who loved her, the one who helped raise her.
The one who betrayed her.
No. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her final days with her family, but it was nearly impossible to cope with that kind of pain she felt. Losing her mother was already devastating. Losing their money was easy to cope with. But to be taken away from her whole family when she had done nothing wrong.
Wrong. She had selfishly asked for a pathetic little flower. A flower that only if her father got it for her would she be completely happy. She didn't want things that lasted forever or things that make perfect accessories for going out clubbing, she wanted a simple gift from her father.
If I wasn't so selfish...
All day long since they left home for the open road had she been keeping to herself. There was no sign of her regular self being present.
It was as if the smiles her face used to constantly wear and the gleeful tone she always had in her voice was never there in the first place. Her father's news of her becoming the new possession of a demon had left her a cold and empty vessel void of any emotion.
"Kagome, sweetheart I understand that this is hard on you but— Kagome? What's wrong? "His thought process came to a standstill by the sound of his daughter's sudden burst into sobbing in the seat next to him.
XXX
"Kagome are you crazy?" Kikyo half yelled. "What the hell do you mean 'You'll do it?"
She took her younger sister by the shoulders and turned to face her. Kagome's head eyes had found interest in the floor and her older sibling questioned her.
"I mean, I'll do it. I'll go with dad and… let the demon take me." Her voice quivered trying to find the words that she desperately tried to avoid thinking about.
Mr. Higurashi finally joined his daughters in standing and gently pushed his eldest away to wedge in between her and his youngest.
"Kagome dear, you don't have to do this. This is my fault, I'll just go back in 2 days and—"
"And what?" Kagome interrupted finally finding the confidence to look her father in the eyes. " And try to convince that thing to let us go? Dad it's a demon. A demon! I'm the one who made up the bed so now I have to lay in it."
"Kag you aren't going." Yura said using her sister's well known nickname for her. "We'll figure a way out of this."
"There's only two days before I have to leave. How can we figure this out in such short time?" Kagome replied.
Her response hung in the air. Silence carried throughout the entire apartment as the other 3 tried to absorb her words. Absorb and try to wriggle out of the fact that she was right.
Going to the cops would be impossible. They'd think that the entire family had gone crazy. Demons didn't exist anymore. Especially out in the country side. They'd either be sent to separate mental wards or sent home to become the future laughing stock of the precinct.
No one would ever believe a tale such as fictional as theirs. Kagome was right; there really wasn't any other way around this.
"Sweetheart this isn't your mess. If anything I should be the one to–" Her father started but yet again was quickly interrupted.
"No!" Kagome stomped her foot. "I'm doing this and none of you can stop me. I've made up my mind, now please just let me rest for a while."
She left her family in shock and disappointment to go into the bedroom she shares with her second eldest sister.
The bedroom she'll have to give up once she's gone forever.
Tears began swelling in her eyes threatening to fall once the door was shut, but she refused to let them do so. She was the cheerful support of this family. She had to be brave about this. For her family. For her late mother's happy memory.
She had to be brave.
XXX
"Dad I'm so scared." Kagome sobbed into her father's arms. He had pulled over to the side of the road in case of any driver needing to pass by. The minute after he did so his arms wound around her petite frame and let her cry it out.
She'd been holding back her pain all this time for the sake of the people she loved so dearly. Now she had hit her breaking point.
"It's ok to be scared sweetheart." Her father said gently. "This isn't your fault."
Seeing his daughter become so helpless broke him. This was his own problem that he had gotten himself into. The demon promised that it wouldn't hurt her. Why did it take interest in his child and not him? Why did she have to perish?
"What if I never see you guys again?" The young woman sniffled quietly. Her flow of tears slowly reaching their end.
Her father pulled away from his hold on her to look at her tear stricken face. He softly brushed away her raven bangs from her forehead and rubbed his thumb over the tear trails on her cheeks.
"Whether you see us again or not, you will always have our love and support with you. Always." He smiled in hopes that her spirits will be slightly lifted. She did her best to reflect it with her own, but it came out appearing small.
"Come on, we need to get going." His face kept smiling, but on this inside his heart was reluctant to move from where they sat. All the things he had to give up helping his family survive. The one of three jewels he refused to give up was now being forced away from him.
Mr. Higurashi peeled the car away from the road side and they next found themselves going down the roadside where Takahashi Manor would soon be found.
"Tell the girls I love them." Kagome said.
"I will." Her father said with the smile that he yet to remove from his face.
Just grin and bear it Saijo…
"Kikyo's lesson plans are always put on the coffee table, so dad you need to remind her of that if she has one of those bad mornings where she can't remember things."
A simple, "Mhm." Was all the older man replied with.
"Keep Yura away from her lesson plans too. You know how much she lives for trouble."
"I do."
"And make sure that they don't get into any fist fights." She innocently added.
Mr. Higurashi slowed the car and turned to his daughter at her last statement and gave her a skeptical look as if he was telepathically giving her a response. With no words being exchanged they stared blankly at each other.
"Yeah, I know it won't work. I'm just… I'm just trying to stay positive." She smiled weakly.
They both lightly chuckled at her answer.
"That's my girl." He said patting her shoulder. His foot pressed heavier on the gas and they continued on.
"Remember to avoid eating all that salty food too." She pushed, causing the man to roll his eyes and nod his head dismissively. "Dad I mean it. Eating all that salty junk will give you kill you at some point."
"Sweetie." He moved one of his hands from the wheel to place it on hers. "I'll be fine… We'll be fine."
At least I hope so…
She sighed, "I know, but I want to make sure again that everything will be alright while I'm…away..." She finished having difficulty to let out the words she hated to admit.
Kagome had been preparing her family for when she was to leave the past two days. She was reminding her family things that will need constant looking after around the apartment. Things like the dishes, the laundry, and giving the car gas if they ever decide to use it. All had been taken care of by Kagome, and never a complaint to escape her thoughts to her lips.
Her father had nothing to say. There was nothing left to say. His goodbye was already said when they left the house. Saying it now would make things hard on the both of them.
Pretend you're driving her off to college.
His internal lies to himself continued on for the rest of the car ride. They were the only things that kept the tension within the car from feeling entirely silent. He turned his head to find out his youngest daughter lying back in the passenger seat with her head turned to the side facing him lulled to sleep.
The first bit of sleep she's gotten since she first heard the news of her terrible fate.
Kagome… I'm so sorry…
XXX
The car trudged up the same continuous steeping hill its driver had traveled up just a few nights ago. Both father and daughter had been forever silent since their brief conversation on the road. The latter had lost all of his confidence to say anything else to just take away the smallest bit of pain his daughter felt.
The manor fell in view after a few small minutes of driving upward into higher altitude.
Kagome held her breath in utter shock of the view. Her father's description of the place in his horrific tale was nothing beyond what was laid out before her. It was eerie and dark, but with an aura of gothic beauty aged from the constant weathering year after year.
A place like this was not exactly fitting for the imagination of a little girl who dreamt of becoming a princess, but its size and structure alone would be on point.
A home fit for a royal…
As Mr. Higurashi turned the car in the direction of the front view of the home, they together noticed a dark figure lingering at the top of the steps. The father without looking had moved his hand from the wheel to reach over and take his daughter's and squeeze it gently. He was unsure if he was doing this for himself or her.
To his avail, she had squeezed back.
The figure shifted and moved forward to descend down the marble steps to meet with the slow forwarding car at their end. The demon stood there staring at his guests hesitantly watching him 5 ft from where Mr. Higurashi decided to park. The man was too afraid to park directly in front of the beast that could easily kill him with a single swipe.
Since arrival onto the property and getting a full glance at the immaculate home, Kagome had her mind in full amazement.
Her eyes had locked onto the beast's form since he stood his ground at the base of the steps. His features were not entirely different from that of a human. Body and face of a man with obvious strength, but eyes and nails the same as predators. Ears of a canine and hair color entirely silver as moonlight. 2 purple streaks symmetrically adorned his cheeks. His face was entirely stoic and his frame poised as his arms were neatly placed behind his back.
How can a demon be so calm?
"D-Dear I think he's waiting for us to get out." Her father stuttered and gulped. His voice had become dry and cracked from being silent for so long.
The young woman held inhaled deeply and locked her shoulder's straight. She refused to let this demon see her fear. The new confidence she had grown had led her out of the car with her father and slowly walked forward to stand a few feet away from the calm beast.
Their eyes locked and Kagome felt as if she was drowning. His eyes were masked with a shadowed wall of darkness that felt had been locked away for years. They were was so calm, so—
Animalistic…
His eyes observed her petite frame. Hair the color of a raven fell down passed her shoulders. Her eyes flashed mixed emotions as he felt her observations over him as well. Her body was the image of perfect health for a woman at her young adult age.
Neither had noticed the other party join his daughter's side and bow respectfully.
"We're here. L-Like you said. This—" Mr. Higurashi stopped and placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder and another hand on her other arm. "Is my daughter… Kagome…"
The young woman beside him bowed in respect after her introduction. The demon stared at her for a moment before breaking eye contact from her form to as well bow.
"Inuyasha." The demon simply stated after all this time.
He then turned away from the two and started up the stairs. Once he was firmly planted on the middle of the marble steps, he turned halfway and his head faced them.
"Where are your things?"
Kagome hesitated at this response. She somehow had forgotten how to speak after being quiet for so long.
"Well?" The demon calmly said.
"I figured you were going to… be rid of me before night fall so I didn't prepare luggage." She admitted with her eyes downcast to the ground. She heard a sharp inhale directly beside her but chose to ignore it.
The demon absorbed this for a second and turned back to continue his path up the stairs.
"Say your final goodbyes come inside." He said over his shoulder before disappearing into the home.
The father and daughter turned and hugged each other tightly. Kagome did her best to choke back a sob.
"Take care of them." She said weakly into his shoulder. The sound came muffled but her father understood.
"I will. I love you so much Kagome. I promise you, nothing bad will happen." He pulled away from her knowing they couldn't wait forever. Mr. Higurashi kissed his daughter's forehead and slowly separated from her.
"You look so much like your mother." He smiled warmly.
Tears prickled her eyes at his statement. "I love you dad."
And with that the father continued to smile with sadness gracing his eyes, and turned away from his daughter. He strolled slowly to the car, opened its door and got in.
It took every ounce of the girl's being not to run to the passenger side of the car and drive off with her father. The vehicle's engine started and it began to slowly pull forward. She couldn't help but wave as she witnessed what looked to be her father leaving her life forever.
Mr. Higurashi refused to look at the reflection of his daughter being left behind. He would've stopped the car and told her to get in if otherwise. He had turned the car and back down the descending path getting further from his youngest daughter.
What have I done…?
XXX
After 5 minutes of just staring at the direction of where her father's already gone car had went off in, Kagome put on her brave face and stalked up the stairs the demon had already walked up earlier.
She stopped at the front doors before pushing one slowly open and slipped through the widened crack. Her eyes had first glanced at the ceiling. A chandelier nearly the size of her father's car hung above her head. Entrances to parts of the house sat on either side of her giving her the feel of being watched if she ever stepped too close to them.
Her father's tale indeed did not fit what her imagination created of this place.
Suddenly the sound of someone clearing their throat in act of getting someone's attention drew Kagome out of her musings. She searched the foyer to have her eyes glance upon the demon sitting at the bottom of the stair case
His posture was not poised as it was before. His back touched the bottom half of the steps and his arms sprawled out from his sides, and legs dangled over the stairs with his feet almost on the ground floor. His face was upward in glancing at the same ceiling Kagome had just done seconds ago.
"Took you long enough." The demon said.
The girl could only stare blankly at this switch of behavior. "Excuse me?"
The demon finally raised his head and looked at her dead in the eye.
"Did you really not bring anything other than the clothes on your back?" He asked skeptically.
"Uh… no."
The demon rolled his eyes before abruptly sitting up and staring at the young mortal woman for another few seconds. He sighed and stood up brushing his palms over his thighs in the act of removing invisible dust from his pants.
His back straightened till he was at full height and said, "Come. I'll show you the manor." He descended the stairs and turned right.
Kagome complied but made sure to keep her distance a few feet behind.
"You won't see what I talk about if you straggle behind that far." Inuyasha said still facing forward. He stopped at an entrance hiding away what was ever inside. The doors were to sliding doors, that the demon casually pushed apart to send into the foyer candle lights flickering from the small source of wind.
Inuyasha leaned against the door frame to let the silent woman take a look and crossed his arms staring at her. When she didn't move he rolled his eyes again and sighed.
"Look, I won't kill you. If I was going to I would have done so by now. I'm trying to be courteous by showing you this place so you won't get lost in the future. So would you just walk in? Nothing's going to ambush you." He said irritated.
Kagome hesitated for a moment before slowly stepping through. The walls were of darkened wood with only one window revealing the front of the manor. Two love seats sat adjacent from each other and further from them a non-lit fireplace where's its mantle almost matched height with Kagome's chest was built. A small table with two sitting chairs lay in the corner next to the window.
"Wow…" She muttered to herself.
It's bigger than the apartment…
The thoughts of the home she left behind started the prickling of tears again. She gulped and wiped them away quickly.
Inuyasha who sensed the awkward tension cleared his throat and said, "Moving on shall we?" He leaned off the frame of the entrance and silently stalked off again, Kagome as well in silent pursuit again.
"You can use that room whenever you like. Read, cry, and stare off into space, whatever women like you do." He said with an uncaring flick of his hand and continued down a corridor to their next destination.
It probably took an hour to get through the entire place. So many doors that lead to different things. The kitchen was a cross between appearing old fashion, but equipped with modern technology even Kagome recognized from catalogs back home.
Inuyasha showed her the armory filled with not only guns, but as well swords. A library that would take her years if she ever decided to read all of them. A room with ceiling to floor windows to look at the back landscaping. The dining room which was fit for plenty had a table that could seat 100 comfortably, and even an indoor hot spring with life like boulders to give off an outdoors appearance. Majority of it was lit by candles but surprisingly enough a few rooms did have updated lighting as well.
"I can't believe someone actually owns all this." Kagome said aloud.
At some point she had gotten comfortable around the demon enough to speak more and actually walk beside him while on their journey going from room to room. She figured that he was telling the truth about if he was going to kill her, he would have done it a lot sooner.
By the end of their tour, the demon had stopped in front of a small door and turned to Kagome.
"And this is where our little tour ends." Inuyasha said while his eyes narrowed and a small grin graced his lips. A mysterious glint flashed through his purple irises.
Kagome hesitated. He had never smiled in front of her since they met and judging by his tone of voice plus the cat like eyes meant something bad was most likely to happen.
Fear consumed her nerves and she gulped while stepping back, but soon came to a half as her back hit a wall.
His grin grew to be the matching image of the Cheshire Cat as he had one hand on the door, slowly turning the knob.
"Don't worry." His face relaxed still smiling as he cracked the door slightly. "It's just your room."
He opened the door to reveal what he said to be true. It was a bedroom. Walls entirely the color of black with a white ceiling. The room was entirely black and white. A canopy sat dead center, lifted from the ground by a platform almost a half a foot tall. A bay window to its right out looked the brightest of stars and a full moon. The room was entirely modern. A regular reading lamp sat on a tiny dresser beside the bed along with a corded phone.
Across the end of the bed sat a black makeup vanity with a stool. On either side of the vanity were two doors. The left door was a walk in closet. The right door was her very own bathroom.
"You like?" Inuyasha asked calmly. A tone of cockiness was laced in his words.
All Kagome could do was nod as she stepped through the room's entrance amazed at how large this room was. It was the size of a regular master bedroom.
If this is the size of mine, how big is his?
"Good." He said. "Well it's pretty late. You should probably rest." His last statement almost sounding sincere. Almost.
"Wait." Kagome turned to face him at the door. "Of all rooms why this one? Why not a dungeon or something?"
The demon paused at her inquiry, and then broke into small chuckle.
"You." He pointed at her. "You're an amusing one. For one thing, this place doesn't have a dungeon. Plus…" He paused choosing his words carefully. "I thought this room would suit you."
Another look flashed in his eyes unrecognizable to Kagome.
"Go to bed Kagome." He said, the first time using her name since they met. "Breakfast will be ready when you awake. Night." He said calmly before shutting the door.
And then she was alone.
Exhaustion was finally catching up to her and she yawned after wandering around the room more and finding everything entirely spotless. As she neared the bed a folded stack of clothes lay atop the covering.
She unfolded them to reveal that they were pajamas. Both a top and bottom half.
How did he…? Was that here this whole time…?
Even though she knew she was alone, she still felt self conscious enough to undress and change under the bed's sheets. It took more time than it would have if she was standing but she didn't care. Plus, once she was done her head was already resting on the soft pillows.
She twisted to turn off the lamp light and let the natural lighting cascading in from the full moon shine through her windows
Her eyes were beginning to grow heavy as she stared above up at the canopy.
Memories of today flooded her mind once again, and a small tear trailed from her eye and down her cheek.
My first night without them…
This time she didn't bother wiping them, and just let them fall. She knew she was never going to family again. She wondered what they were doing now. Did they miss her? Was she at all on their minds as much as they were on hers? Were they doing ok? It wasn't even 24 hours yet from being away from them, but they plagued her mind painfully. Images of her family including her beautiful mother were swarming through her mind, and she willingly let them.
Her eyes had finally begun to close, sleep finally hitting her. Her breathing became even and she fell into a deep sleep.
I miss you already guys…
A/N: Sorry guys this is so short. I'm so busy with shit nowadays I can't think straight. Right now it's midnight and if I don't sleep now I'm forever screwed in the… err few hours from now. If this is bad, I know I'm just publishing this until I can go back and edit it.
I apologize for Inuyasha being blah. I'm still fleshing out ideas of how I want to deal with him in the state. I want him to be mysterious as of the moment, and if you get this vibe then SWEET! I completed my goal. Kind of. Anyways thanks again guys. Unsure when the next update will be but it'll be soon. Now that I've gotten past the boring stuff, the awesome parts are coming up!
