Evergreen
AN: Okay, I don't want to sound mean or anything, but I'd like to make one thing clear.
You may not like how this story is going. That's understandable - it's my story, after all, and I tend to add plot twists whenever I feel like it. You may not like how I've characterized a certain character. If that's the case, let me know what you think I'm doing wrong. Don't just tell me I've done such and such badly - tell me why you think I've done it badly.
I'm saying this because I have a feeling most of you will not like something later in this chapter.
Other than that - happy reading! Thanks to all of you reviewers! Special shout-out to kittykritik, who gave me a ton of constructive criticism. I will try to keep your words in mind during later chapters! If I post a chapter I feel is too filler-ish, I'll post another chapter with it, to keep you guys satisfied.
PS: Sorry for making this update one day late! I'll stop now, before this AN is longer than the chapter...
Disclaimer: I do not own either Inuyasha or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. These two fantastic stories belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Karan Johar respectively.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
"Good night." Kagome ran one hand over the girl's face, smoothing little Kagome's hair away from her eyes. It was only about seven in the evening, but the child had been yawning frequently, and Kagome had decided to put her to bed. Little Kagome blinked sleepily and smiled up at the woman.
"G'night." She yawned again, snuggling deeper into the comforting softness of the mattress. How would she ever be able to get used to hard sleeping mats again? As little Kagome's eyes drifted shut, a sudden thought made her sit up with her eyes still half-closed.
"Eh?" Kagome had been about to leave the room, but she paused when the girl sat up in bed. "What is it?"
"If you…" Little Kagome bit on her lower lip, and Kagome wondered what was bothering her. "If you want to look at the letter," little Kagome finally spoke, "that's okay with me." Maybe it would be easier that way, little Kagome mused. Maybe her mother would explain things more easily to Kagome than she ever could. Where would she start? Hello, I've been hiding something important from you since we met – my dad is Inuyasha, the guy you were in love with, and my mom is Kikyo, the woman he eventually married instead of you! Now that that's out of the way…
The very thought made her cringe. Little Kagome wasn't very good with words, after all.
Her gaze returned to Kagome. The woman stood in the doorway, looking undecided and stunned at the girl's words.
"Thank you," Kagome finally spoke. "I'm glad you trust me with something so important. But I won't do that. It's your last memento of your mother. It's special to you – I would never dream of looking at it."
Lies.
Little Kagome shrugged, fuming inwardly. Why did the woman have to be so, so good? Why couldn't she understand that reading the letter would make everything so much easier? "All right," the girl replied casually, drawing the papers out of her kimono and gingerly placing them on what Kagome called a 'bedside table'. "I'll leave them here, just in case."
The girl saw Kagome's eyes dart over to the papers and smiled to herself. Lying back down, she drew the covers to her chin and closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Her newly-washed and combed hair felt soft against her cheek as she rolled over onto her side, curling her body into a cup shape and drawing her knees close to her chin. She was vaguely aware of soft footsteps and a creak as someone sat on the mattress – after that, she was lost to the world.
Kagome stared at the girl's face as she slept with one hand under her cheek, her breathing deliberate and even. Her fingers twitched as she fought the urge to place one hand on little Kagome's head, to stroke her hair until it grew dark outside. Her eyes wandered to the letter lying on the bedside table and then quickly darted away. Even though little Kagome had told her that she could look at the letter, Kagome felt it was morally wrong to read what a mother had written to her child.
Sometimes, she wished she didn't have morals.
Faint sunlight streamed in through the window in her room. Kagome sighed, trying to force herself to get up and continue packing for her return to the States. She hadn't managed to get much work done that day – she had been far too busy supervising the girl and making sure that she did not get up to mischief. She might have called little Kagome wise earlier, but the girl was still only ten years old.
Somehow, though, she couldn't make herself stand. She remained frozen in a seated position on the mattress, gazing at the face of a girl she had known for only a day. A face that should have been strange, but that was instead achingly familiar.
Had she looked like that when she was ten years old? Had she looked so worried when she slept? Kagome reached out with one hand, tentatively placing her fingertips on the girl's cheek. Little Kagome did not stir. A faint smile crossed Kagome's face as she let her fingertips rest on the girl's warm skin.
After a few minutes, she lifted her hand with a regretful sound. As much as she would have liked to continue to watch the girl sleep, she really had to pack. Kagome rose from the bed and made her way out of her room, shutting the door gently behind her.
"Mama… do you know where I kept those pink socks of mine?" Kagome rifled through the huge pile of laundry, sounding frustrated. "Those are my favourite socks! I could have sworn I'd seen them here earlier…"
"Honey, I don't know." Mrs. Higurashi did not allow any impatience to creep into her tone, although she was certainly growing aggravated at her daughter's shrill questions. "Maybe you already packed them?"
"No! No, I know I haven't packed them." Kagome looked aggrieved as she unceremoniously dumped the laundry into a basket, beginning to pace the floor. "Unless… wait, maybe I packed them day before…?" The woman pursed her lips as she tried to remember.
"Why don't you go check?" Mrs. Higurashi suggested. Kagome nodded.
"Good idea…" She was about to move towards the exit when she remembered that her suitcases were in her bedroom, where little Kagome was sleeping. She didn't want to wake the girl, but she really had to find out if her pink socks were packed or not.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Higurashi had noticed her daughter's pause and turned towards her, looking curious. Kagome hesitated.
"Um… well, see, that girl I found yesterday… she's kind of sleeping in my room, where my bags are. And I don't want to wake her up."
"Ah." Understanding dawned on Mrs. Higurashi's face as she remembered the girl her daughter had taken into the house the previous day. "But wasn't she supposed to go home? I thought you were taking her back to her parents in the afternoon?" It wasn't that Mrs. Higurashi disapproved of the girl's presence, exactly… all right, she did disapprove. But only because she didn't know where the girl came from. Her parents would be worried – her daughter really should have taken that into account.
"I know!" Kagome sounded desperate as she chewed on her bottom lip. "The thing is, she asked me to stay one more night… and I couldn't help it. I'm sorry, mama. I know I shouldn't have done something like this without your permission."
Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "It's all right, dear," she replied tiredly. "I'm sure she won't wake if you just peep in there to check on your bags. You were a very sound sleeper at that age, you know."
Kagome laughed slightly, rubbing her forehead with one hand. "I guess you're right." Her features softened. "She looks so peaceful when she's asleep."
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "I remember when you were still young enough for me to tuck you into bed and read you a story… you used to fall asleep and I would sit by you, watching you sleep. I used to sit on your bed for hours, just gazing at your serene face." She looked at her daughter fondly. "You've grown up a lot since then, but part of me still remembers you as that sleeping child."
Kagome found herself growing teary at her mother's words, and darted towards her to envelop her in a hug. Mother and daughter embraced for a moment before Kagome broke away, hurrying out of the laundry room and towards her bedroom.
Her mother watched her go with a wistful smile. "They grow up so fast…"
Kagome twisted the doorknob, pushing gently at the door with her shoulder. She winced as the hinges creaked loudly, praying under her breath that the girl was still asleep. When Kagome opened the door fully, sure enough – little Kagome was still fast asleep. The woman sighed in relief, making sure to keep her weight on her toes as she moved towards the suitcases that she had kept near her cupboard.
Now, which one had she put her clothes in…? Kagome stared at the nearly identical suitcases, looking troubled. Perhaps it was the one in front… it made the most sense, considering that she still had to finish packing her clothes. But maybe it was the one that was closer to the bathroom – hadn't she put her toiletries into the bag with her clothes? She groaned in irritation – would she really have to open all of the suitcases and check each one of them?
The sound seemed to distress the girl in the bed. Kagome froze as the child grumbled something under her breath and rolled over so that she was sleeping on her back. Kagome held her breath until she heard the child's breathing even out once more, and she reached forward to pull the nearest suitcase closer to her.
Little Kagome mumbled something again, and Kagome stiffened once more. Perhaps the girl was having bad dreams. Abandoning her luggage for the moment, Kagome crossed the room and stood by her bed, gazing down into the face of the little girl.
The light had disappeared, leaving her room in shadow. She couldn't quite make out the girl's features anymore, but she didn't need to. Kagome leaned down to rest her hand on little Kagome's forehead, marveling at how alike they looked. It was almost freakish, how similar they were – the same black hair, the same blue-gray eyes, the same facial structure, although little Kagome's features were softer than her own…
Who else did the girl remind her of? Kagome stared down at her, chewing on the inner lining of her cheek. There was someone else… Kagome twirled a strand of hair absently around one finger when the answer came to her. She caught her breath.
It couldn't be. Surely not.
The letter still sat on the bedside table. Kagome reached out to pick it up with shaking fingers, clutching the papers close to her chest as she exited the room silently. Like a thief, she crept into the nearest bathroom and locked the door, flicking on the light switch and seating herself on the edge of the bathtub.
She could hear her heart hammering as she unfolded the sheets, her eyes widening in amazement as she read the salutation. Dear Kagome… Kagome flipped through the pages, catching snatches of words here and there, until she arrived at the last page. Her eyes ran down the lines of words, finally arriving at the name she had been looking for.
Kikyo.
Your mother, Kikyo.
Kagome felt tears fill her eyes and drip down her cheeks, splashing on the letter in front of her. She stared at the three words in dumb shock, unwilling to even wipe away her tears.
Kikyo… Kikyo was little Kagome's mother. And that meant…
Kagome closed her eyes and pressed the bundle of papers to her chest, bowing her head and allowing her tears to drop onto her knees. Her mouth formed the same word over and over again – no, no, no.
It wasn't supposed to end up like that! Kikyo wasn't supposed to die! Not again! Kagome's tears fell faster as she hugged the letter to her, squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to hold back her tears.
It didn't occur to her, in that moment of grief, that little Kagome's presence in her era meant something startling was going to happen soon.
Kagome returned to her room and placed the letter back on the bedside, wiping at her red eyes. She took a seat on the mattress, her gaze fixed on the sleeping face of the little girl. Her heart ached as the girl frowned in her sleep and turned over again, her shoulder pressing into the pillow.
Kikyo was little Kagome's mother. That could only mean that her father was Inuyasha. Unless… unless it was another Kikyo… Kagome shook her head. The chances of that were too great. There was no possible way that this girl could look so much like her, have a mother named Kikyo and not be Inuyasha's daughter.
Kagome contemplated picking up the letter again and reading its contents, but her entire being recoiled against the idea. Who knew what Kikyo had written to her daughter? As much as Kagome had envied the beautiful and talented priestess, she would not violate her daughter's privacy any further.
The woman sat by the sleeping girl all night, until she finally fell asleep with her head dropping forward, her chin resting on her collarbone.
She awoke the next morning with a painful crick in her neck and dried tears on her cheeks. Kagome raised one hand, frowning as she placed her hand on the back of her neck. Why had she fallen asleep while sitting up…? Then she saw little Kagome in her bed and the memories came rushing back.
Kikyo was dead. A small, spiteful part of Kagome was gleeful. Her eternal rival was finally dead – dead and unable to come back. However, the rest of her grieved at the priestess's passing. Kikyo had not always been kind to her, but she had not deserved to die yet again – and her daughter had not deserved to be left alone, without a mother.
The girl in the bed stirred, stretching her arms above her head. Kagome massaged her neck and watched little Kagome as she awoke.
"Good morning." Kagome's voice was quiet, but she tried to inject it with a note of cheerfulness. Apparently, the ploy hadn't worked – little Kagome frowned and cocked her head, looking at the woman curiously.
"Um… morning… why were you crying?" Kagome had to fight back an absurd urge to laugh at the girl's blunt question. Little Kagome may look like her mother, she reflected, but she was certainly far more like her father in demeanor.
"I… I looked at your letter." Kagome half-expected the girl to yell at her about invading her privacy, but was unsurprised when little Kagome merely looked impatient.
"So?"
"So…" Kagome fidgeted with the bottom of her wrinkled shirt. "So I didn't know Kikyo was your mother." Her words came out in a whisper.
Little Kagome shrugged. "What of it?"
Kagome stared at the girl. "What of it?" she echoed. "That… your father is Inuyasha, am I right?"
Kagome saw indecision flicker across the girl's face before little Kagome rearranged her features into a bland expression. She knew what the girl's answer was, but she could not help holding her breath as little Kagome opened her mouth and spoke.
"Yes."
AN: Again, bit of a short chapter… sorry! I think Kagome would cry over Kikyo, even if she was insanely jealous of her when she was alive. She's just got a big heart.
To whoever read the opening AN, I was referring to Kagome crying over Kikyo. Yes, she was incredibly jealous of Kikyo, but Kagome's proved herself to have a very kind heart, and I think her first reaction would be grief.
