By: Senko Tenrou
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha
Chapter 3: Leaving
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Kagome held in the sob that was threatening to escape when she heard footsteps coming her way. Pressure on her shoulder from a wrinkled hand made her stiffen and turn her head to the side – not facing the guest, clenching her knees tightly and closing her eyes in effort to stop crying. The grasp left momentarily and she opened her eyes to find Kaede kneeling beside her. Gasping, Kagome scrubbed her eyes vigorously to wipe away the tears before the aged woman saw them. She realized that she was a little too late when Kaede pried her hand away from her face with one hand and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at the older woman, with the other.
"Why do you do this to yourself, child?"
Kagome swallowed uncomfortably and lowered her eyes. She didn't reply.
To Kaede, Kagome's silence told all. "Inuyasha," she croaked finally, after a moment of stillness from the younger female. If Kagome was in here, crying her eyes out, it definitely had something to do with Inuyasha. She'd seen Inuyasha and Kagome fight before but this was definitely one of their worst cases; Kagome usually came out and talked to either Sango or Kaede. Even in the worst cases, when the women weren't around, she'd turn to Miroku. The young one, Shippou-chan, she decided, may just have to do some snooping around...
Kagome's face turned stony at the name and Kaede's suspicions, once again, were confirmed. "Don't let it get to you, young one… If you need me, you know I'll listen…" she bid goodbye, standing up and tottering out the door curtain.
Kagome sighed deeply once Kaede left the room.
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"But, I don't want to do it!! Why me, anyways?? Are you three trying to pick on the little one?!" Shippou squeaked, backing up a few steps. "I don't want to go near him!!" he retorted.
"C'mon, Shippou-chan, I'll make sure that Kagome brings you some chocolate next time she goes home…" Miroku bribed.
Shippou shook his head. "Not on my life – and don't call me Shippou-chan!"
"Shippou-chan, I'll make a rosary for you – one you can use on Inuyasha, too…" Kaede tried as Shippou bopped the monk on the head.
"That's Kagome's job!"
"But, Kagome hasn't been doing her job, don't you agree?" she tried again.
"She has, too!"
Kaede sighed and Sango took the spotlight. "C'mon, Shippou-chan… You have to do it for Kagome!!"
Shippou paused. Kagome did play a big part in his life… and… she wasn't happy – even a little kitsune like himself could figure that. He knocked on his forehead with a little fist over and over again in deep thought. It was either Kagome stayed sad and quiet or he went to go spy on Inuyasha and get bashed over the head – both sounded painful for him… "Err, uh…" Shippou sighed and relented, "Fine…"
Clapping for the good decision from the two younger ones erupted – just as Sango had about given up – while Kaede merely patted him on the head, chuckling. "I knew you'd see it our way," she said.
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Shippou scampered along the trail, heading for the Sacred Go-Shinboku Tree, to find Inuyasha. The four of them – Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and himself – had figured that, as every time he was angry or depressed, Inuyasha would show up there to brood.
Upon reaching his destination and looking up the tree, he found that there was no sulking hanyou, human, or youkai to be seen. Shippou stood on his tiptoes, trying to get a better look but still found nothing in the tree altogether. Even as the wind blew, he found no disturbance in the tree, save the leaves that blew from it – just being early spring as the leaves that were budding were still fragile.
This was bad…
…Where had Inuyasha gone?
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Kaede had come back and Kagome had again given no information other than the fact that Inuyasha caused it – which the old woman had figured out herself. The younger girl looked so weary and melancholy that she feared touching the subject in the least for fear of the girl breaking down into tears again. She hadn't moved at all, hadn't taken her gaze from that one wall, and rarely even blinked. She wouldn't eat – her stomach hadn't even growled once – and wouldn't acknowledge the fact that it was dinnertime and Inuyasha still hadn't returned.
The two humans and the kit were circled on the other side of the room, discussing the matter without fear of Kagome hearing for she seemed to be tuned out from the world, while Kaede tidied up her home, voicing her opinion every once and a while.
"I'm worried about Kagome-chan, really; She won't eat. She's going to be in really bad condition by the time she goes home if she keeps this up…"
"I know, and I couldn't even find Inuyasha – he's always in that tree!!"
"Yes, we realized that, Shippou, but as Sango said… Kagome is our main problem. If she goes home like that; Mrs. Higurashi will find away to get here and—"
"Miroku," Sango interrupted stonily, "move that hand…"
"Oh, yes. I'm so sorry, Sango, but you're just…" He trailed off at the hard glare she shot him. "Err, yes, as I was saying – Mrs. Higurashi will find a way to get here and kill us all…"
"Stop it, all of you." Kaede interrupted. "I, myself, think that Kagome should go home for a while to recuperate before she gets in any worse condition. A mother knows best for her child and I think that Kagome will do much better at home. That is, if it's alright with you three…"
The three stared up at her, blinking. "Kagome… leave??" Shippou repeated in his own version. "You want her to go home?"
Kaede closed her eyes. "She's always welcome here and I enjoy her company but I have to say that I think she'll do best at home with her family to recover…"
"You… want me to go home?" a small, unused voice from the other side of the room had them all – save for Kaede, who had a hunch that she'd been listening – turning in a hurry.
The two young humans and kit looked up to Kaede, who explained, "We think it would be best, Kagome, until your problem with Inuyasha is sorted out…"
A smile twitched at Kagome's lips, "You'll let me go home?" she asked them all, receiving simultaneously, yet reluctant nods. A real smile broke out across her face and she jumped up to hug them all – leaving out Miroku, though, for obvious reasons as he grinned lecherously. Instead, she shook the pervert's hand. Smiling again, she lugged the backpack over her shoulder and waved goodbye.
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Kagome found, that on the walk to the Bone Eater's Well, she really wasn't all that excited to leave as she thought she was and now a frown marred her tired face. Though, one advantage she liked about leaving Segoku Jidai was that there were comfortably familiar beds in her time. And, she realized, she couldn't wait to see her mother, little brother – Souta, her 'Jii-chan, and she couldn't forget Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka – she had to see them.
She couldn't wait for Mama to tell her that they were having her favorite for dinner: oden – a food that she didn't see in the Warring States era. And, most of all, she couldn't wait to curl up in her warm bed with her fat cat, Buyo. She wanted Souta to ask her about what she'd done while she was there, she wanted him to marvel over how she could handle a bow and arrow – a weapon that he found very interesting and complicated (somehow) to use, how the youkais looked, what the Warring States era looked like, how hard her team could fight, how cunning Inu—someone's plans could be…
He was always there – in her thoughts…
There was one thing she would miss about the Segoku Jidai, though; and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had no choice. She was going to miss Inuyasha more than anything else…
But, she reminded herself, you can't think about him… Sadness welled in her eyes and she felt the tears form again. Swallowing them back as hard as she could, she dashed for the well to get him off her mind.
She collapsed to her knees at the lip of the well, eyes overflowing with tears, as she dropped her face into her open palms.
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By the time Kagome reached home, it was well past nightfall and everyone in the Higurashi residence had settled down for the night in from of the television. Her eyes were red, watery, and irritated and her hair was tousled from the wind and branches of Inuyasha's Forest. She'd sat at that well for so long, crying her eyes out, and now she was plainly tired of it, exhausted. She just wanted to crawl into bed and die for all she cared at the moment. Her bag thumped on the floor beside her when it slid from her shoulder without a matter in the world.
Her mother, hearing the loud noise, made her way to the front door to greet her. She faltered at her daughter's appearance – rumpled and unhappy. "Honey, what happened?"
Kagome only frowned at her mother, no reassuring smile. "Nothing, Mama." she said and stepped out of her shoes, into her house slippers, and up the stairs to her room.
Mrs. Higurashi clicked her tongue at her eldest child's behavior, absolutely bewildered, and continued on to clean up after Kagome. She picked up her muddied shoes and sighed. What had happened? She then emptied the contents of her daughter's bag to find another dirtied school uniform. She'd only been there for one day – only just left this morning. Hmm, must have been playing around today… her mother considered and went to throw it in the wash.
Upstairs, Kagome had changed into bedclothes and was just now combing her hair. She'd washed away the tear streaks on her face, her bloodshot eyes cleansed. She sat on the edge of her bed once she ended the fusing with her mane to then pet her overweight cat – Buyo – just to hear his soothing purr. She flipped the light switch after her cat had fallen into a peaceful sleep then slipped under the blankets for sleep herself. Her dreams were haunted by a certain hanyou.
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Kagome woke up the next morning, just as tired as when she went to sleep, to find a little boy sitting at the end of her bed and petting Buyo. Kagome's little brother… Souta looked up as Kagome sat up and immediately bombarded her with questions. The sleep deprived girl's eyes widened as question after question hit her. What was she supposed to say? Every single question involved her dream haunter… What was she to say!?
Kagome's eyes widened and she cast the boy a stony look – fighting the stinging in her eyes – as a particularly troubling question was shot her way. She pointed to the door, giving him a crystal clear gesture to leave. The boy did so, head low, and Kagome fell back on her bed, burying her head in the pillow as the tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Are you and Inuyasha gonna get married?!" the question that wouldn't leave her alone…
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A/n: I am so sorry I haven't updated in soooo long… I really hadn't noticed because I've been focusing on a new story that I'm writing! I'm sorry again. Please accept my deepest apologies and I hope you enjoyed this chapter… Review for me, please!
OMG FANFICTION.NET MESSED UP ALL MY SPACING!! IN ALL MY STORIES!! GRRR… -very pissed off-
-_-",
Senko