Yay! New chap! 2 in 2 days—not bad, eh, HanyouElf? Hehe! ^_^ Well, see, I
wanted to update now, on account of I'm going away this week with no
computer. 1 whole week of no updates......mosta you guys would lose interest by
then, ne? I'm in a hurry so a quick thanky to HanyouElf, Moogle, and JoJo
for reading/reviewing my last chappie. Hope you like this one just as much.
Onward!!!
@-}----------
"Kagome.......Kagome....."
The distant, unclear voice was familiar, but she couldn't place a face with it immediately. It'd been almost ten years since she'd last heard it.....her father. Before he'd died in the train wreck. But, then.....how was she hearing him? He was dead, gone.....
As she would be, soon.
"Kagome....."
A bright light was shinning on her face, making her eyes go blurry. There was a beautiful chorus behind the voice—a wonderful, heavenly, angelic murmuring. Angels? Heh, why not? She was already talking to a dead person. And there he was, standing before her, looking no different than she remembered him—in his business suit and all. He opened his arms to her, smiling jubilantly, calling her closer, and she ran, ready to jump into his embrace as a child of six years....
"Kagome! Kagome!"
All at once, the pleasant music ceased, only to be replaced with a high- pitched, squeaky voice. Kagome opened her eyes, looking about dazedly—the light WAS still bright. But this was sunlight—not ethereal light from an unknown source. Shippo was standing at her side, or rather bouncing, his ears twitching in excitement.
"Kagome! Want to come make daisy chains with me? You said you would!"
"Aww, Shippo-chan, it's so early...."
"No, it's not! It's noon!" His face became a very convincing puppy face pout. He tugged at her sleeve, sniffling.
"All right, all right," she sighed at last, climbing from the covers grudgingly. It had been a nice dream, too.....hadn't it? What would've happened if she'd reached her father? It had happened before that people died from their dreams, as psychologists had argued.....could that have happened to her? Dismissing the thought, she followed Shippo out of the clearing they had been camping in the night before.
Soon Shippo had successfully led her to the small meadow outside Kaede's village. There were herbs and spices and vegetables growing a distance away. A handful of bent-back farmers were out, harvesting—for spring was in the air, and everything was growing beautifully. There would be a nice, bountiful yield this year for the little village.
Too bad I won't be here to see it.
The two sat down on the soft, warm green grass. Surrounding them for at least five feet were assorted flowers—daisies were the only ones Kagome could recognize. All the rest were too wild; too exotic, maybe even extinct by her time. Shippo was babbling happily on and on, braiding the stems together as she watched and helped occasionally.
Altogether, though, Kagome was silent. She smiled on cue when the kit glanced up at her, nodding when he spoke or asked a question and murmuring a "Uh-huh," or a "Yup," when appropriate. She tried her very best to seem typical and cheerful as always, despite the unwanted thoughts that kept attacking so mercilessly.
Apparently, after a while, her pretending grew clumsy, because Shippo looked oddly worried and uneasy when he asked, "What's wrong, Kagome?"
"What?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Of course not, Shippo-chan. Everything's wonderful." The kitsune looked doubtful but said nothing else for the remainder of the time, continuing with his chains with ease.
@-}----------------------
"Inuyasha!"
Silence.
"Inuyasha! HEY, INUYASHA!"
Finally the hanyou snapped. Shippo had been yelling his name for at least a half hour now, and he was past getting sick of it. It was driving him—and the forest's local wildlife—insane. It was twilight all around, and most people were putting their children to bed. No doubt they were annoyed as well.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT, BRAT?"
"About time," the kid muttered irritably. "You know, you'd think that with those big ears you'd be able to hear really well, but noooooo."
"Is that what you've been trying to get my attention for? You're wasting my time." Inuyasha scoffed, turning his back to the other below. "Go make mud pies or something, squirt."
"Hey, wait a minute! That's not what I wanted to say!"
More silence as the inu-youkai ignored him again.
"Inuyasha! Please! It's important!"
There was a moment as nothing moved at all. Inuyasha paused in his silent treatment scheme, feeling unease prickle his neck and his ears twitch in concentration. Something about the distressed, serious tone in Shippo's normally playful voice made him feel inclined to listen, in spite of himself. At last, he decided to give the fox one more chance.
"What is it?"
"I'm worried about Kagome."
Inuyasha paused. So even Shippo had noticed it. That proved it. There was DEFINITELY something going on. He hid this all, instead plastering a 'you're mental' scowl on his face.
"Why?"
"She's been acting really weird, Inuyasha. All quiet and.....sad. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."
"Feh," the hanyou muttered, though internally he was answering truthfully.
Yes, of course I've noticed it, Shippo. And I'm worried out of my mind for what it could be about. Must be something really bad if she's afraid of making ME upset with it. But what could it be? Several not-so-pleasant thoughts came to mind.
That's it, Inuyasha decided as Shippo walked away without another word. I'm going to ask her about it first thing tomorrow.
@-}----------
"Kagome.......Kagome....."
The distant, unclear voice was familiar, but she couldn't place a face with it immediately. It'd been almost ten years since she'd last heard it.....her father. Before he'd died in the train wreck. But, then.....how was she hearing him? He was dead, gone.....
As she would be, soon.
"Kagome....."
A bright light was shinning on her face, making her eyes go blurry. There was a beautiful chorus behind the voice—a wonderful, heavenly, angelic murmuring. Angels? Heh, why not? She was already talking to a dead person. And there he was, standing before her, looking no different than she remembered him—in his business suit and all. He opened his arms to her, smiling jubilantly, calling her closer, and she ran, ready to jump into his embrace as a child of six years....
"Kagome! Kagome!"
All at once, the pleasant music ceased, only to be replaced with a high- pitched, squeaky voice. Kagome opened her eyes, looking about dazedly—the light WAS still bright. But this was sunlight—not ethereal light from an unknown source. Shippo was standing at her side, or rather bouncing, his ears twitching in excitement.
"Kagome! Want to come make daisy chains with me? You said you would!"
"Aww, Shippo-chan, it's so early...."
"No, it's not! It's noon!" His face became a very convincing puppy face pout. He tugged at her sleeve, sniffling.
"All right, all right," she sighed at last, climbing from the covers grudgingly. It had been a nice dream, too.....hadn't it? What would've happened if she'd reached her father? It had happened before that people died from their dreams, as psychologists had argued.....could that have happened to her? Dismissing the thought, she followed Shippo out of the clearing they had been camping in the night before.
Soon Shippo had successfully led her to the small meadow outside Kaede's village. There were herbs and spices and vegetables growing a distance away. A handful of bent-back farmers were out, harvesting—for spring was in the air, and everything was growing beautifully. There would be a nice, bountiful yield this year for the little village.
Too bad I won't be here to see it.
The two sat down on the soft, warm green grass. Surrounding them for at least five feet were assorted flowers—daisies were the only ones Kagome could recognize. All the rest were too wild; too exotic, maybe even extinct by her time. Shippo was babbling happily on and on, braiding the stems together as she watched and helped occasionally.
Altogether, though, Kagome was silent. She smiled on cue when the kit glanced up at her, nodding when he spoke or asked a question and murmuring a "Uh-huh," or a "Yup," when appropriate. She tried her very best to seem typical and cheerful as always, despite the unwanted thoughts that kept attacking so mercilessly.
Apparently, after a while, her pretending grew clumsy, because Shippo looked oddly worried and uneasy when he asked, "What's wrong, Kagome?"
"What?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Of course not, Shippo-chan. Everything's wonderful." The kitsune looked doubtful but said nothing else for the remainder of the time, continuing with his chains with ease.
@-}----------------------
"Inuyasha!"
Silence.
"Inuyasha! HEY, INUYASHA!"
Finally the hanyou snapped. Shippo had been yelling his name for at least a half hour now, and he was past getting sick of it. It was driving him—and the forest's local wildlife—insane. It was twilight all around, and most people were putting their children to bed. No doubt they were annoyed as well.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT, BRAT?"
"About time," the kid muttered irritably. "You know, you'd think that with those big ears you'd be able to hear really well, but noooooo."
"Is that what you've been trying to get my attention for? You're wasting my time." Inuyasha scoffed, turning his back to the other below. "Go make mud pies or something, squirt."
"Hey, wait a minute! That's not what I wanted to say!"
More silence as the inu-youkai ignored him again.
"Inuyasha! Please! It's important!"
There was a moment as nothing moved at all. Inuyasha paused in his silent treatment scheme, feeling unease prickle his neck and his ears twitch in concentration. Something about the distressed, serious tone in Shippo's normally playful voice made him feel inclined to listen, in spite of himself. At last, he decided to give the fox one more chance.
"What is it?"
"I'm worried about Kagome."
Inuyasha paused. So even Shippo had noticed it. That proved it. There was DEFINITELY something going on. He hid this all, instead plastering a 'you're mental' scowl on his face.
"Why?"
"She's been acting really weird, Inuyasha. All quiet and.....sad. Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."
"Feh," the hanyou muttered, though internally he was answering truthfully.
Yes, of course I've noticed it, Shippo. And I'm worried out of my mind for what it could be about. Must be something really bad if she's afraid of making ME upset with it. But what could it be? Several not-so-pleasant thoughts came to mind.
That's it, Inuyasha decided as Shippo walked away without another word. I'm going to ask her about it first thing tomorrow.