Here's a quick chapter for you guys. I'm on spring break, so I plan on updating one chapter everyday for this week. YAY! Please post more reviews. I know it's been months since I last updated, but here I am! Enjoy!

Chapter 4 ~ Is There Hope?

~Takishima's POV~

"It's about time you showed up," I growled at Miss Higurashi. I studied her closely, noticing that she was a very attractive young woman. Her dark almond eyes darted from me to Berrett to Ayumi. She looked confused and probably wasn't sure on what her next move should be.

"Kagome! It's been so long!" Ayumi ran to the young woman and embraced her.

"H-hi Ayumi. Uh, I c-can't breathe…" Kagome choked out.

"Oh, sorry. It's just so great to see you! Come sit down." Ayumi motioned to one of the seats against the wall.

Miss Higurashi turned to glare at me. "Actually, I'd rather sit in my own desk. Can you be so kind and move?"

"Nah, I'd rather sit here. This is one comfy chair. Anyway, I'll make this quick. I know you probably want to hurry home at this late hour. I'm pretty sure we all do." I stretched my legs on top of the desk. "Now, to get to the point. May I ask how you know so much about the Sacred Jewel? Or Shikon Jewel. Whichever you prefer to call it."

Miss Higurashi was silent for a moment. She glanced out the office window and chewed on her bottom lip. I couldn't help but think that her mind was at war with itself. Would she tell us the truth, or lie? I was about to speak up when the woman grabbed my legs and swung them off her desk.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything I know. I'll probably regret it, but if there's a chance to get back to the feudal era, I'll take it. It might take awhile, so don't expect to leave here anytime soon."

~Inuyasha's POV~

"Ow! Kotoko, stop!" Kotomi and her twin sister were wrestling each other on the ground. "Pulling hair isn't fair! Stoooop!"

"Kotoko, listen to your sister. It's almost time for bed anyway." Sango sighed and split apart the two sisters. Miroku and Sango were indeed two busy parents. Their eldest children were the twins who were a handful by themselves, and they were only five years old. After them came their eldest son, Keita, who had just turned three recently. Kuro was their youngest child so far and she was still a baby.

"Inuyasha, can you take the twins to bed? Keita is already a handful for me. Where is Miroku? If he's not here in a few minutes I'm gonna…" Sango mumbled to herself.

"Fine," I picked up the twins and swung them over my shoulders.

"Eeeek! Inuyasha's trying to take us to bed!" Kotomi giggled.

"Fight back! Fight back!" Kotoko squirmed in my arms.

"Quiet! Your baby sister is asleep!" I covered their mouths and they both giggled with glee.

I set them down in their beds and told them if I heard a single word from their mouths, I'd come back and shut their mouths for them. Luckily, that shut them up quick.

"Thanks Inuyasha. I really appreciate it." Sango smiled up at me while carrying a sleeping Keita to bed.

"No problem. I'm going to sleep outside tonight." I slid open the door.

Sango hurried over to me. "Are you sure? You can sleep in here, really. Our home is your home."

"I sleep better outside…" I murmured and shut the door behind me. I quickly made my way to the Sacred Tree. Whenever I felt a longing for Kagome, I would always come here to clear my head. She wasn't coming back, and I knew that. It was just hard to accept. After all, it has been six years since then. I leaned against the tree and let out a deep sigh. What was I going to do with my life? I had to move on. Kagome has probably done the same. It's for the best, right? Just thinking about her would make me think about the past. I couldn't do this to myself any longer. Every time I told myself I would forget about Kagome, I would end up sitting under this tree and start thinking about her.

I felt a single tear drop fall from my face. I chuckled. "Damn, Kagome. Why do things have to be this way?"

~Takishima's POV~

I let all the new information sink into my mind. But it was hard to accept everything Miss Higurashi had just told me. "Let me get this straight. You, as a teenager, fought a demon named Naraku. You banded together with some friends from the feudal era and fought with him. After a few months from travelling back and forth from this era to the feudal era, Naraku was killed. But his last wish was for you to be sealed within the jewel to a… battle demons for eternity, right? But one of your friends came and saved you. After that, you made a wish that the jewel disappeared forever, and well… it did. That's when you went back to your own time and this, Bone Eaters well was sealed. Am I right?"

Miss Higurashi nodded, "To sum it all up, yeah that's it."

I was dumbfounded. If what she said was true, then there is no hope to power up the portals again. The jewel was gone, for good.

Mr. Berrett grunted. "Great. So now there really is no point in looking into things further."

Miss Higurashi swung around to face him. "Why not? I thought you said there was a way to make them work again!"

"Miss Higurashi, please understand that without the Sacred Jewel, there is no point. It was the portals main power source. It's like trying to turn on a flashlight with no batteries in them. It's hopeless."

Her face dropped and her shoulders sagged. "So there is no way to go back…"

Ayumi hurried over to comfort her friend.

"It's alright Kagome. I'm sure there's another way to make them work. We just have to find out how." Ayumi smiled.

I slammed my hand on the desk. "There is no other way! Don't you get it?"

"Quiet Takishima!" Everyone in the room jumped and turned to the voice in the corner. "You're wrong. There is a way to power the portals again. Don't go jumping to conclusions! " Lady Hitomiko appeared from the shadows, glaring at me.