Dee: Be warned. This chapter involves one pissed off hanyou. I suggest you watch out.
Kagome Higurashi looked at the old well house. It had been three long years since she had last gone through it. She was nearly nineteen and had just graduated high school at the top of her class. This would be the last time in at least five years she would glance at the well, the memories of her time in the Feudal Era slowly fading away.
She tried to force herself to move away, to go to her car and drive to the airport where she would board a plane to America. She was going to Princeton for college and was going to be a journalist. She wouldn't let the thought of Inuyasha and the others hold her back.
But something bothered her. She hadn't sealed the Bone Eaters' Well as well as she had promised herself she would. She'd continuously refilled it with logs to block it off every few months, not wanting to take the chance that Inuyasha would come back for her. She knew he would try, but now it had been so long, she only refilled it out of routine.
She moved into the well house, just wanting to look at it once more. Her mother planned to fill the well with cement because several children who had been visiting had almost fallen in. And once Kagome had moved away, there would be no point to the well being open anyways.
Kagome felt the tears fill her eyes as she looked into the blackness of the well. She wouldn't deny that she missed the others. Sango and Miroku with their antics had always been able to help her laugh. Shippo, her surrogate son, was always there to take her side whenever Inuyasha was being rude. And Inuyasha….
She shook her head to rid it of those thoughts. No, he wasn't worth it. She knew she still loved him, but he had probably already moved onto Kikyo. Hell, they'd probably already defeated Naraku and Inuyasha had most likely used the Jewel to become full human, just for Kikyo.
The tears fell silently into the darkness that had once been used either to go to Inuyasha or to escape his aggravating antics.
Kagome started to step away, but something called to her. She didn't believe it until she heard it again. It was only her name, but the voice sounded…familiar. She looked over her shoulder. No, there wasn't anyone there. It had to have come from the well.
She peered inside. That was impossible! The bottom was totally piled with stacks of wood and other large objects she'd been able to pick up. There was no way anyone could be down there.
She should have known better.
Suddenly, a flash of light blinded her for a split second. But that was all it took. Soon, she was being pulled down into the well by something extremely strong. She screamed for anyone and heard her mother slam into the well house just before another flash appeared.
Kagome tried to turn her head to look behind her at whoever was kidnapping her, but something held her head in place. She was so scared, she could barely suppress her terror-filled screams.
No! I'm not helpless anymore! I won't be made the victim any longer! I won't let this thing kidnap me without a fight, she said to herself. She bit her lip and thrust her foot backward, skimming something hard. She struggled, trying to get her arms free. A bow and arrow would help me out a lot right now!
Suddenly, she was being brought back up into another world. An all too familiar world. No, I can't come back here. I can't face the others! Especially not Inuyasha! "Let go of me!" She brought her right hand back and focused all her power as a miko into it. She hoped it would make the thing holding her drop her.
"That won't work anymore, Kagome. I'm not going to let you get away this time!" the voice that still haunted her dreams snarled. The arm around her middle tightened, already almost painful. She tried to hold the whimper in. She didn't know why he was doing this, but she didn't want to find out. Inuyasha had always been able to hold his grudges.
She watched as everything flew past her, shocked. Had he been waiting for so long? No, he would have been plotting what he would do if she ever came back. He would he have really wait so long for the well to be working again? "Put me down!" she shouted just as they entered Kaede's village. She hoped they would stop him, but none seemed to care.
Everyone looked in their direction blandly. Then one child screamed, "'Tis Inuyasha! He is back with a girl! Mama, he's back!"
"Aye, 'tis the priestess Kagome he has!" a man yelled. "Kaede, the odd miko has returned!"
Inuyasha ignored them as they tried to stop him. Kagome couldn't tell whether they were happy to see them or if they were angry he was back. Their waves in greeting a moment later told her it was the former. They smiled and gawked, mumbling about her odd clothes. Kagome still hadn't looked at Inuyasha. Was something different about him? Had he changed so much?
He leapt from roof to roof towards the very edge of the village. None of the villagers followed except Kaede, who didn't seem to have aged much. She was yelling for Inuyasha to stop, to bring Kagome back, but to no avail. He just moved too fast for her to keep up. After all, she was just a human, not to mention an old one.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a hut. Kagome finally twisted her head to see Inuyasha. His face was blocked by his hair and bangs, but the only things that seemed to change were his hair was slightly longer and he was a little taller. She didn't think he could have changed much in appearance otherwise. But she had also thought she wouldn't go back to the Feudal Era, and look what happened now.
He carried her into the hut and Kagome saw three familiar, if slightly aged, faces. Miroku seemed much more mature, a weary smile on his lips. Yet his eyes still sparkled as they had so long ago. Sango, it seemed, had hardened over the years, looking fierce even while she was relaxed. And Shippo had grown a lot, almost standing level with her hip.
Kirara was seated on Sango's lap. She was the only one who hadn't aged. She was purring happily until they barged in.
"Look who finally came by," Inuyasha growled. He stopped her to her knees on the ground. "And it only took her three years to do it." He glared down at her furiously and she finally saw his face. And it had definitely changed.
His brow was furrowed in angry. His eyes held a cold glint that scared her in its intensity. The sneer he wore showed her his fangs had grown longer, sharper. But what she couldn't get past were the purple markings marring his face, usually only when he was in full demon form. But…is he a demon now? How?
"Kagome!" Shippo squealed, running to her. He threw his arms around her hips, squeezing her tightly, as if she were his lifeline.
Kagome smiled and reached her hand down to pat his head. "It's good to see you, too, Shippo. It's been a long time." She looked up just in time to be pulled into another hug by Sango, who held Kagome even closer than Shippo.
"Oh, Kagome, we missed you so much!" the taijiya said into her ear.
Kagome wrapped her free arm around her old friend's shoulders. "Sango, I've missed you all, too." She felt the tears well up once more. She'd really missed them all during the past years. She'd never thought she'd see them again. But the Fates obviously had a different thought in mind. She didn't know whether to curse them or thank them.
Miroku stood. "It's been a long time, Kagome. I'm glad to see that you are well and have come back." His smile was sincere.
Sango and Shippo pulled away from Kagome as Inuyasha's growling got louder and more feral. Kagome peered at him and almost gasped at his lethal glare. In fact, if looks could kill, they'd all be six feet under already. But she refused to allow him to frighten her like that. She refused to let him have any power over her.
"She left here without warning, probably not thinking she'd ever come back, and you just welcome her like she's royalty?!" he roared. "You humans are pathetic. You're all too trusting and forgiving." He advanced on Kagome, forcing her to take steps backward to keep from letting him crowd her. "So, why did you finally decide to unblock to well? Or was it even you? Maybe your mother or grandfather did. I doubt you would do of your own free will after all the trouble you went to trying to keep it blocked."
When Kagome was backed into one of the walls, she found her backbone, unwilling to take anymore of his slander. "Back off, Inuyasha. You can't bully me anymore! I'm not a kid any longer! I'm an adult, capable of making my own decisions." She crossed her arms over her chest and glowered up at him defiantly.
Shippo moved to stand by Kagome. "It's all your fault anyways, Inuyasha!" he added. " fault anyways, Inuyasha!" he added. "You're the one who drove her away in the first place! So why should we be angry with her?!"
Inuyasha growled at the kitsune. "You'd better watch it, runt. I'm not in the mood for your childish crap."
Shippo backed up immediately, looking scared. Kagome, out of pure instinct said, "Inuyasha, sit!"
As Inuyasha flew to the ground, the room tensed and she knew her mistake. The second he got back up, he would be furious. She panicked and decided to try to make it back to the well before he could get up. No way was she sticking around to be yelled at by an arrogant hanyou who was currently in the worst mood she'd seen him in.
She dashed through the village, dodging the people. She passed Kaede and heard her call out. But Kagome didn't slow her pace. She just kept running, thanking the gym classes when they'd had to run around the whole time.
She was in the clearing where the well stood when she heard Inuyasha's angry yell. "Don't think you can run away, Kagome! Not again!"
She vaulted over the side and into the well just as Inuyasha would have caught up with her. But before she could climb back out into her own time, Inuyasha grabbed her.
"Did you really think I would let you off so easily? Did you really?" he demanded.
She shouted out furiously and brought her elbow back like she'd been taught in her self-defense classes her family had signed her up for. She hit him in the solar plexus, but it did little more than make him angrier. Damn hanyous. You can't hurt them at all when you're only human!
He brought them out of the well and then back in to bring them back to his time, but she kicked his leg out from under him so he couldn't firmly push off. He fell onto the side of the well, bringing her with him. He snarled. "You'd better stop that."
She wriggled out of his hold and stood, panting, at the base of the stairs in the well house. "Leave me alone, Inuyasha. I'm done in your world. You can go back alone. I'm not a part of that anymore."
"What happened to helping us kill Naraku? To finding the Shikon shards?" he insisted. "Or does it not matter to you if you made a promise?" He stalked towards her.
She stood her ground. "I didn't forget about that! But I can't stay in your time anymore! I've got a life outside of Jewel shards and Naraku. Besides, I'm willing to bet you've already killed Naraku and gotten all the Jewel shards. It has been three years. I'm sure you don't need me at all, anyways." She waved him off. "Now go home, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha growled. "You're wrong about all of it. You're the only person who can see the shards now." Something close to pain flashed across his face.
"Inuyasha, don't lie. I know Kikyo can see the shards, too, so why don't you go ask her for help?" She turned away from him and started back to her house. She wouldn't let him bring her back to the Feudal Era. She'd made a promise to herself.
Inuyasha didn't seem to notice because he just grabbed her around the waist and leaped back into the well.
Kagome gave up fighting. She'd get away later and just go back to her time. Then it would all be over and done with.
I know, a short chapter. Get over it.
Sango: Why do I have to be "hardened"? Well, I guess I would be if I had to deal with Miroku and Inuyasha alone all the time.
Miroku: I take that offensively.
Inuyasha: I'd be pissed off if I had to deal with you guys all the time.
Shippo: Yay, I'm gonna be tall!
Inuyasha: Not any time soon, runt. [[punches Shippo in the head
Kagome: Inuyasha! Sit boy!
Dee: [[laughing Well, we'd better go before an all out brawl here. Buh-bye.