Start Time: 12:17 PM, February 9, 2008
Kagome stood inside the well house, feeling a strong pull. It was the same pull she felt after she'd tripped when she first came through the well. What was the pull? It felt so familiar yet she couldn't place it. Kagome walked down the wells three steps slowly, eyes focused on the well in front of her. She would go down it and who knows when she would return or if she even would return at all. She'd already said her good-byes, so the only thing left to do was jump down the well and learn more about being a miko. And then destroy Naraku, for good and for real.
Reaching the wells edge, Kagome ran a hand across the wood. How long would it be until she saw this side of the well again? A single tear made it's way down her cheek. She didn't bother to brush it off, as one hand was clasping a brown paper bag and the other lightly touching the wells rough wood. It wasn't rough enough to actually scratch her or anything, but rough enough to know that it was real wood that made this ancient well. The Bone Eaters Well, which would take her to Inuyasha Forest, back to where she was needed now, back to where she had to save people, because she was a warrior priestess instead of a school girl who wasn't expected to do much.
Bracing a hand on the well, she hoisted herself over with muscle she hadn't realized she'd accquired, dropping into its black depths, but something was wrong. She landed, but no time serge was felt, no blue light. Just the echoing of her feet hitting the dirt at the bottom. Kagome's eyes widened in fear. "No..."
Quickly, Kagome climbed from the well to see the well house still surrounding her. Kagome shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "No... oh please, Kami no!" she murmured to herself. Why couldn't she go through the well? She'd traveled through it to here, so why couldn't she go back? Kagome dropped to her knees, facing the stairs, more tears sliding down. "No! This can't be happening!"
Kagome rubbed away her tears, thinking. 'I can't believe myself! Here I am, crying like a baby, when my goal is to be stronger. Emotion isn't weakness, I knot this, but there is a time and place to show emotion, and right now, this isn't it. Think logically Kagome! Think!' she yelled at herself as her eyes wondered the well house.
Kagome cut off her thoughts as she saw a dim pink glow coming from under the stairs. Her eyes widened and she crawled towards it. Reaching a hand out slowly, Kagome wrapped her hand and pulled it towards her. Slowly, Kagome turned her hand over and opened it. There, in the middle of her palm, was a Shikon shard. But how did it get there?
"My shoe!" Kagome exclaimed. She remembered now. When they were headed into battle, Kagome had taken one of the shards out of the bottle around her neck and stuck it in her shoe. That way, if Naraku managed to grab her shards, he wouldn't get them all. When she tripped, it must have fell out of her shoe. That was the pull she'd felt. It was the Shikon jewel!
Standing quickly, Kagome clutched the jewel shard in one hand and her bag in the other. Her reason for using a paper bag was so she could burn it, leaving no evidence she was there. Kagome jumped into the well again, a blue light errupting around her and the pull of time flowing around her.
Climbing from the well, Kagome smiled at the trees. It was almost dark, the sun just setting behind the hills. Small creatures could be heard rustling in leaves and bushes. Taking in a deep breath of fresh, clean air, Kagome started her walk back to Kaede's hut, where she knew the old Miko would be waiting.
"Ah, Kagome, ye have returned," Kaede greeted Kagome.
"Kaede-sama," Kagome replied politely as she sat across the fire from Kaede in her hut. Kagome then reached into her bag and grabbed out the items in it. Another set of her school outfit, aside from the one she was wearing, a bottle of shampoo, soap, a brush, and the bottle of perfume her mother had bought her. It was sakura scented, while Kagome's normal scent, according to Inuyasha, was vanilla with a hint of rose. She blamed her shampoo for the rose, which is why this shampoo had a lilly scent.
"What are ye items for?" Kaede asked, eying them as Kagome set them out.
"To hide my scent, so Inuyasha won't know that I'm here. May I burn this?" Kagome held up the paper bag.
Kaede nodded, and Kagome threw it into the fire. "May I ask, why are ye hiding from Inuyasha?"
"Not just Inuyasha, but all of them. I want to... get stronger before I go and find them. Please understand Kaede. I love Inuyasha," Kagome realized what she said, and added, "and Shippou, and Sango, Miroku, and Kirara. I love them all, but... I can't return to them weak just so they can watch me die again. I want to be stronger, so they won't have to see me dead again."
"I understand, Child," Kaede smiled warmly. "I understand completely. I will help you with what I can, but most of it you will learn on your own, just as I had too."
Kagome smiled. She could live with that. So long as she had somewhat of a guide, she was ok. Kaede had to learn on her own, as Kikyou had died. Kaede couldn't have been much older then Rin. "...I'm sorry, Kaede."
Kaede looked dumbfounded. "For what, Child?"
"... For you. You lost Kikyou... you're only family, when you couldn't have been much older then Rin. You were forced to grow up at such a young age. You didn't get a chance to have a carefree childhood," Kagome looked up at Kaede, her eyes sad.
Kaede chuckled lightly. "Child, ye must not be sorry for things ye have no control over. Ye weren't even born yet. Not even thought of, none-the-less."
"I know... but I am," Kagome whispered. "It's just who I am. That's what makes me Kagome and not Kikyou."
"Their is a lot that makes you Kagome and not Kikyou. Ye just haven't realized it yet," Kaede answered. "I don't think that even Inuyasha has realized it yet. Yes, he agrees that ye are Kagome, not Kikyou, but still, the resemblance is there."
Kagome sighed. "I know, Kaede. But I just wish that when people look at me, their first thought wasn't 'Kikyou has return?' I want it to be something more along the lines of, 'Look, it's Kagome. The kind priestess who helps all, no matter what.'"
"If ye want that to happened," Kaede looked Kagome in the eye, "then ye must get out there and prove that ye are the kind priestess who helps. No matter what."
"Right," Kagome smiled and nodded. Her eyes became serious then. "Kaede, will you teach me all you know about herbs? Medicine would be a good place to start, wouldn't you agree?"
"Ay, Child. A very good place to start," Kaede agreed. "but first, ye must sleep. And perhaps cover up ye scent. We don't know when Inuyasha will decide to visit."
Kagome nodded and grabbed her perfume. She sprayed some on herself, and a little into the air. "I hope it works..."
Kaede and Kagome then started to settle down to sleep, arranging a place for Kagome to sleep. It was a simple process and was filled with silence, as neither miko knew what to talk about.
"Oh, Kagome. I got ye a kimono, like ye asked," Kaede whispered as they lay down to sleep.
"Thank you, Kaede. Good night," Kagome murmured, sleep getting to her.
"Good night, Kagome," Kaede replied.
Blood. It was everywhere. Red covered the ground and sky. An evil laughing.
A flash of blue, black, red.
Screams.
Laughter.
A growl of anger.
A weeping mother.
End Time: 3:15 PM, February 9, 2008
Wow... I'm on a role. Yay! I guess I've got to make up. This is what happens when you are grounded on a weekend. I've nothing better to do then write! But this is good from my readers, right? Feel free to give ideas if you want. Oh, and if their is mistakes, I'm sorry. I have no beta reader, so this is only read by me and then posted and I normally don't reread my stuff. I know, bad RomanceRighter! Bad! But anyway, fell free to review, flame, or give constructive critasism. And if you feel the need to correct spelling, go ahead and do that, too. Heaven knows I need it.
