I just blinked while InuYasha kept staring into my eyes. "Well, spit it out! Where the hell are we?!" "Uh… um… uh…." Why couldn't I form a coherent sentence? Was I really this dumbstruck? Well, that's a ridiculously stupid question. Come on, get it together! I had to shake my head a couple of times before looking straight at him again. "Uh, Yorkshire?" "What?" He finally, FINALLY let go of my wrist. I felt the blood flow back into my hand, to my utter relief. "Oh, that's right; you don't know about England… or Europe, for that matter," I stated while rubbing my now free hand.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" His eyebrow rose suspiciously, cause of course it did. I let out a long sigh. Gees, why am I the one who has to tell him all this? Couldn't Rumiko have written him with this pre-knowledge? Well, I guess that wouldn't have made sense- at least for her story. I never realized before how much Kagome had to teach him about the world… and ironically doesn't in the anime. He doesn't even Europe- a frikin continent- exists. "Look….. uh….. erm… I don't know how to tell you this, but you're in the wrong place." "What?" The venom in his tone… oh that familiar venom. "You're supposed to be in a forest in feudal Tokyo near the Bone Eater's well; I think that's what it's called. That's where Kikyo pinned you to the tree." "How you do know about that?!" He gasped, scandalized. Oh… oh boy, this was going to be difficult- and painful. Painful for both of us.
"Y-you're… you're really in the wrong place. I don't know how you got here… or how we can get you back… but you're meant to be in Japan. This is not Japan; this is uh… another continent." "Continent?" Boy, Kagome really didn't explain anything to him, did she? "It's kinda like a large land mass with lots of countries in it. You're from Japan; an island in Asia. While this is the UK; also an island on the other side of the world. We're not even speaking Japanese right now; we're speaking English- my native language."
I might as well have been speaking a totally foreign language judging the way he stared at me. Yeah, none of this was registering. But then, InuYasha was never known as "a thinker" in the series. Instead, he simply folded his arms and scanned around once more. "How long as it been?" "Since you got pinned to the tree? Uh, do you want anime years or… reality years? Cause in the manga, it was fifty years." "You mean to tell me that all this was built in fifty years?!" His voice was raising. "No; I just said you're not in Japan anymore. I have no clue how this tree got here," I reiterated. Of course, this useful explanation fell on deaf ears. He scoffed and shot his head annoyedly away.
"Since you're such an expert, tell me where she is." "Who?" "Her- the woman who killed me." Oh….. oh my god. He's doesn't know she's dead yet; Kaeda didn't tell him until the next volume. Why do I have to be the one to tell him? I know how he's gonna react. He's gonna mope and go off on his own to grieve, just like in the anime. Great….. "Well….. she's….. dead. Or at least she will be until that old witch lady resurrects her in episode fourteen." Just as predicted, his dog ears gave a single twitch, just like in the show. His eyes opened a tad, though he wasn't looking at me. Seeing as Kaeda gave him more than that in the anime, I decided that's what I should do too; so he at least might have some closure. "Uh, I'm sorry, InuYasha. She died on the same day you got pinned to the tree. She didn't suffer," much. I thought it best to leave out the Naruka stuff for now. He can deal with that back in his own fictional world.
He didn't say anything for a moment; only speaking again when his back was turned to me. "And the shikon jewel? Where's that?" "Oh, that's… uh, also in your world. It's not here," and if it was, it's definitely wouldn't be in England. "Your world… Why do you keep saying that?!" The half-demon suddenly fired back at me. "B-because we come from different worlds? You're in mine right now; not the other way around." Besides, your world is fictional; a creation of someone from my world. InuYasha's fists tightened. "I've had enough." "Uh, ok then?" I have no clue why, but I turned to leave. Why I would leave him in this vulnerable position is beyond me, but it was clear that- just like with Kikyo and Kagome- he didn't want me around. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Or… maybe he does.
I paused to give him a confused expression. "Um, I was going to give you some time to grieve… over Kikyo's death?" I offered a half-hearted justification. "Give me a break! I don't need to mourn someone like "her"," he scoffed. Yeah right, my eyes rolled. I'll say this: I have a lot of criticisms of Kagome's character, but InuYasha isn't so peachy either. At least in the first few volumes. "Well, what do you want then?" I asked him, not sure what to do from here. "I want some answers, and I want 'em now. You say we're in this "Yorkshire", right?" "Uh huh?" My head nodded. "Then tell me how to get back to the village. I wanna know where the shikon jewel has wound up." "That's….. not possible." "How come?" He didn't hold back on the tone. "Well, first thing: we're in a totally different time period. You're from the past, this is the present, so it's impossible for you to go back to your own time. Second: where you're from… doesn't really exist in my reality. Neither does the shikon jewel for that matter. You're the only thing that's real from your world here." "I don't understand a word you're saying! What you don't seem to get is I'm only after the jewel! I'll be able to find it once I'm back, so tell me how to get there!" "I really don't know what you want me to say. It's literally impossible, what you're asking." "I don't need this!" He tsked, turning his head away from me once more.
Oh! So it's not ok for me to leave when I want, but he can come and go as he pleases? Why did Kagome tolerate him again? And what's more, why did I write so many fanfictions on him? Is my taste in men really that bad? InuYasha hopped to the top of the oak tree to get a good look around; I could see the frustration grow on his face. "Dammit! I don't recognize anything!" Is he just incapable of listening? I sighed, still unsure what to do. Ok, so he doesn't want time to properly grieve over Kikyo- fine, whatever. But what am I supposed to do now? He'll be detained by police so fast once they see him; and they'll probably try to deport him too. They'll think he's a lunatic, and me if I try and explain his situation. Then again, InuYasha's a fairly popular manga and anime; even today. People would recognize who he is and listen to his story….. but I can't beat on that. Ugh! I didn't sign up for this! Am I destined to be his babysitter now? No! I've got lectures to teach and a dissertation to write! Oh, why did I have to pull on that stupid arrow?
"Excuse me, Miss?" I blinked at this vicar approaching me. He wore the traditional purple robe and a very kind smile. "We'll be closing soon." "Oh, right! Sorry! I'll be right out!" By now, InuYasha was watching. He hopped down to stand right beside me, obviously alarming me in the process. Oh no! How am I going to explain the appearance of this man with long, white hair and dog ears?! Kagome's struggle is real! My mouth dropped open to automatically start giving excuses but to my astonishment and confusion, the priest didn't even so much as glance his way. "Who's this? A monk?" InuYasha's golden eyes gave him a once over in an unimpressed fashion. He can't…. Meanwhile my gaze slowly drifted back to the nice vicar. He can't see him… or hear him.
"Please, take your time, my dear," the churchman said before leaving the courtyard. I just stood there dumbfounded and back to doubting my own sanity again. If he can't see or hear InuYasha, then maybe….. maybe somehow this is all happening in my head. I can't see any other reason as to why…. "Hmmmm? What are you doing, stupid?" InuYasha's hand waving in front of my face broke my concentration. I blinked back at him with wide eyes. But then again, what if I'm wrong… What's the moral thing to do? I have no clue anymore!
"Um, listen, InuYasha. I gotta leave." "What? Why? Where are you going?" He shot me yet another look. "Home. I don't live here; it's a public cathedral. It's closing soon, so I gotta go. But you…" If the vicar couldn't see InuYasha, does that mean I'm the only one who can? What does that say to my mental health?! Oh, I'll worry about that later. If InuYasha's invisible to everyone else, then he can stay here without any problems. I looked him square in the eye, which surprised him a little. I could tell by the way he stiffened up.
"What do you want to do now?" "Huh? I thought I made the clear: I want to return back home and find the shikon jewel." I sighed exasperated. "Yes, I know that. But what do you want to do right now? Do you want to stay here?" "Stay here? Why would I stay here? I don't even know where "here" is!" Patience, you can do this; I kept repeating internally to myself. "Look, I'm going back to York, where I live. You can either stay here and I'll come back to you, or…." I had to pause. Wait, was I about to extend an offer for him to come with me? Did I… really want that? I mean, sixteen-year-old me would have leapt at the opportunity; hell, I've wrote fanfics with this plot. But… it was different now; I was different. Sure, I liked InuYasha; I had a soft spot for him, but… I also had a job and a dissertation to write. I didn't have all the free time in the world to teach him and try to convince him that there's no shikon jewel here. And judging by the way he glowered at me, he didn't want that either. Then again, he and Kagome started off rough and they got close by episode nine. But I'm nothing like Kagome… or Kikyo, for that matter. I have no clue how we'd get on- assuming he came with me, of course.
"Just….. where do you want to stay, at least for tonight?" I ventured to ask; not exactly extending an invitation to my place but I'll wait and hear what he has to say. "Tisk! I don't see why you should care," his arms folded defiantly. Oh my god, this is infuriating! But he's got a point- why should I care? I'm attached to him because I grew up with him, per se. But he doesn't know me; hell, he was going to kill Kagome in the first volume! This might dangerous for me! And I don't have the shikon jewel as leverage against him either. Ugh! Stupid logic! Always getting in the way of things. With the world's longest sigh, I started to walk away again. Of course, he had to flinch like this was insulting to him or something.
"Hey! Did I say you could go, stupid?!" "I just said I have to; they'll kick me out if I don't. You can stay, it's fine," I kept walking away. "Yeah, well… leave then! See if I care!" Oh boy, I rolled my eyes this time. Still, I knew deep down I'd have to come back at some point, even if to merely check on him. But at least he wasn't coming all the way home with me. He eyed me as I left the yard and went down the corridor inside. He'll stay here with the tree and I'll come back….. probably tomorrow. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.
But, of course, I had to be wrong for the millionth time that day. While inside the main cathedral hall with the rest of the exiting crowd, I couldn't help but notice a presence trailing behind me. I blinked up, catching just a glimpse of InuYasha before he hid behind a stone pillar. Oh….. oh my. He's following me! Just like Kagome in episode two. Ugh! Why doesn't he just come down already? I know what he's up to; I've seen the anime- he's not as stealthy as he thinks he is. I sighed and kept moving forward. Fine; if he wants to play it this way… I was to leave with everyone else until…
"Mommy! Mommy, look! Look, it's InuYasha!" My head shot over to this little, wide-eyed boy. He was pointing up to where InuYasha was in the rafters. I blinked from one to the other with equally startled eyes. He… he can see him! But….. but how?! His mom glanced up, then turned to her son. "There's nothing there, sweetheart," she told him. W-wait….. so she can't see him? The boy can, but she can't…? Why? No one else seemed to see InuYasha either. What's different between the boy, me, and the rest of the people? I don't understand… I don't…
That's when a lightning bolt struck me. The manga volume outside! It must be his! He must have lost it and I found it. So then…. we both read the InuYasha manga; that's one thing we have in common. I knew my theory wasn't air-tight, but it was the best I could conceive of. So….. if looks like if you've read or watched the InuYasha manga or anime, then… you can see him. My gaze slowly returned back up to the now visible InuYasha; he was staring back down at me with those yellow eyes of his.
I think I'm beginning to understand…
