He ran fast, weaving in and out of the trees, clutching the strand of beads tightly in his fist. He could hear the villagers yelling, they were coming. He could sense her coming closer. Pushing aside the hurt, he sprinted on, even faster. A swift sound, something moved very fast. He had a moment to turn when he was hit by the force of the arrow, throwing him against a tree. The sharp pain numbed his senses, an acute feeling of loss, of betrayal. The last thing he felt before darkness engulfed him.
The sun hid behind thick grey clouds. Trees sighed in the wind. This was the longest she had ever been away. She couldn't be this angry, no, something was wrong. A moment of decision. He leaped into the well. Not expecting the fall, he yelped in surprise when he landed with a thud at the bottom. Confusion. Then anger. He tried again. Still nothing. His body cold with dread, he tried again. And again. Nothing. The water pooled around his bare feet, wetting his clothes as he frantically clawed at the dirt. A frustrated grunt, tinged with fear. A struggle to keep the despair at bay, there had to be way, there had to be…
Ichiro gasped as his eyes flew open, a tight ball of panic caught in his throat. Breathing hard, he sat up in bed and covered his face with his damp palms, mind still swimming with images of the same face, large brown eyes, unruly black hair.
"Kagome…"
The sun was shining in through the partly shrouded window, a beam falling across the foot of his bed. He stared at it, mesmerized, but it felt so real. Still caught in a dream-like limbo, Ichiro got out of bed and absently began washing up.
He splashed water on his face, and looked up to see his reflection in the mirror. The same face. He had the same face. And he felt, so familiar. Could it be…? But then, what about Kagome?
Clucking in annoyance, he turned away from the mirror, muttering about watching too many fantasy shows and attempted to push his imposing thoughts to the back of his mind.
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"Hey, Kagome, I'm going to the movies tonight, wanna come?" Sakura yelled from the door.
"Uh, I'm having dinner with Ichiro tonight, sorry, so you go ahead, I'll join you next time," Kagome bustled around her room, frantically rummaging for her favourite sweater.
"'Kay, enjoy your date!"
"It's not a-" the door slammed, "date," Kagome finished.
She sighed and flopped down on her bed. She warily looked at the little box on her desk that held letters to Inuyasha.
Involuntarily, her hand reached forward and she settled down cross-legged on the floor with the box in her lap.
She gazed at the lid, debating whether or not to open it, trying to fight against the feelings of nervousness and indecision that seemed to radiate from the pit of her stomach.
To save her emotions some grief, her hand involuntarily flipped the lid off the box and picked out a letter at random.
Hesitating, Kagome looked at the clock. There were still forty minutes left before she met Ichiro. She opened the folded letter and smoothed it out.
With a deep breath, she began reading.
Dear Inuyasha,
I looked through grandfather's old scrolls today. I found a few things about demons and some spells, but there was nothing that I think will help me come see you. I won't give up Inuyasha, grandpa said there was a temple in the south of the city where there are more of ancient scriptures and scrolls. I'll go with him tomorrow and look for a way.
I promise I'll find a way, I have to see you again. I need you don't you see? And I still haven't told you how I feel. Don't worry Inuyasha, you always protect me and end up saving me. This time, I will find a way to see you again, just don't give up on me okay? Please don't give up on me, I won't let you, I'll come soon, I swear I will.
Love,
Kagome
She paused and with a slow shuddering breath, opened another letter.
Dear Inuyasha,
I can't find anything, nothing, that'll help me come back. I find myself losing hope Inuyasha. My heart's giving up on me but I have to see you again, I haven't told you and I have to-
The following words were scratched over a dozen times, the paper a mosaic of black and white. Kagome sat still, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes skimmed over another letter.
Dear Inuyasha,
I haven't been sleeping very well. I don't want to fall asleep because I fear that I won't see you in my dreams and that's the only way I ever get to meet you. But I don't want to wake up because it just reminds me that I have to go through one more day without you.
I don't know if I'll ever see you again. Oh, Inuyasha, please, please do something, you can do more than I can from here, you could ask Kaede or Miyoga or anyone, you have to come and see me again. Please, I beg you to do something. Please, Inuyasha…
Another letter:
I'm in university now. I miss everyone, Mom, grandpa, Souta, Buyo, and you. It's been three months since I saw you, three months and I still don't think I'll ever be whole again. If at all, I feel worse now because with every passing day I grow less and less hopeful that I will ever see you again. I'm beginning to hate myself for being so helpless Inuyasha, and I hate myself for not being able to remember the sound of your voice anymore. I'm so afraid, I don't want to forget, I can't, it's all I have left of you and I-
The letter floated down from Kagome's trembling hands. Her cheeks stained with twin streams of grief, she grabbed another letter, a small sob escaping her mouth, mind absorbing disconnected fragments of words.
He says his name is Ichiro…so much like you…brown eyes…sometimes cold…he isn't you…never will be…
…I think I'm falling in love with him…but he isn't you…I'm betraying you Inuyasha…and him…he deserves someone who loves him for himself…so confused…I don't know when he stops being himself and starts being you…I wish I could see you…I need to talk to you…being unfair to him…sometimes I wonder if I only love him because he's so much like you…and because it's still the idea of you that I yearn for…or is it otherwise? I don't know…I can't think…
Tears smudged the rest of the words. Weeping openly now, Kagome collapsed on to the floor, curled up in the foetal position, still clutching the crumpled letter in her hand.
She felt all the pent up sorrow that she had struggled to repress convulsing through her, her intermittent cries giving voice to all the pain she couldn't manage to put in words.
When she had no tears left, she merely lay shivering on the floor, eyes wrought with pain and guilt. As if to rescue her from the ordeal of thinking, sleep gently stole over her, blessedly devoid of dreams.
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A/N: Only a couple chapters left till the end. Your reviews really give me the motivation to keep going with this…personally I'm too disillusioned with this fic to want to go on otherwise, I find the writing too commonplace and clichéd and I really, really hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you guys…sorry if it's a let-down:((
