Inuyasha is still throwing himself at the door from the outside. He…he hasn't noticed the arrow, I guess it hadn't penetrated the wood entirely.
I struggle for air, still recovering from the shock of the arrow barely avoiding hitting me. Of course, that had to have been deliberate…but I'm grateful I'm not dead yet, anyways.
I see a pair of pale, shaky hands grab onto the ledge of the well, and I notice no body is brought up right away – the hands are still struggling. My natural instinct is to help, so I rush over and take those hands, helping up the person attempting to climb…and it's Kikyou, like I'd anticipated.
"I sensed…someone's presence," Is the first thing she says, hoisting herself over to sit down on the edge of the well. She's not even gonna thank me for helping her up, huh?
There's a faint light coming up from the well itself, softly illuminating the darkness in here, casting a bluish glow around the edges of her silhouette. How eerie…she narrows her eyes at me; I can tell from the way they flash as they close half-way. "I didn't expect it to be you."
"S-so you just were willing to shoot whoever?" I stammer out, annoyed now at how nondiscriminatory she was in shooting those arrows around. How reckless! What if it had been Inuyasha and not me? That's…probably what she wanted.
"It, likely, would not have killed you anyway," She huffs, blowing me off entirely. "Answer me. Why are you here?"
I can't even begin to articulate how anxious and upset I am, locked away in a shrine with my boyfriend's dead ex-girlfriend. And what did she mean, that arrow wouldn't have killed me?! Of course it would have! She was underestimating me, obviously I'd know how spiritual power worked…and how it's imbued with the feelings of the bearer…
"I've been feeling compelled to come by for a long time," I say under my breath, not really sure how to express that this was just on a whim. Every other time, I was terrified of coming by here. My drunken courage had led to such a situation. "…so I finally did."
"You are safe in this world," She says, after a very long silence. "…why return?"
I start to open my mouth, then shut it. How can I respond to that? I briefly turn to glance over my shoulder up the stairs as I hear Inuyasha continually pound on the door outside, but Kikyou ignores him.
"Why make my sacrifice in vain?"
What...? Was this…her showing me her weakness?
"If you're my reincarnation, Kagome, you should understand."
I suddenly feel a headache coming on, just like all those awful ones I got before my memory returned. Reincarnation. Everyone was obsessed at first, with the idea of that…before they recognized I was really myself – Kagome – and not just her, reborn.
"You and Inuyasha are safe in this world. The effects of my spell remain," She sounds like she's in pain, now, and I flinch, taking a step away at the impact of her words. My head throbs, and my heart races with worry at the fear I'm not getting the whole picture, somehow, just like all those other times. Why does she always have to be so cryptic?!
I notice, then…that there are tears in her eyes. Oh, God, I feel so guilty now I can't even breathe with how heavily it chokes me up. Of course, like I knew before, she knows now I've essentially replaced her in Inuyasha's heart. It's like a reversal of every other time when I was the one feeling like second fodder to her. She can't compete with me, who's alive…so why am I also wanting to cry?!
She doesn't want her sacrifice to be in vain because she gave her life to save all of us…but above all, she did it for Inuyasha. No one else.
I hate to change the topic…but I have to know. "S-so…you can go across the well?" I whisper out, hating how my voice breaks.
She doesn't respond right away – her face clears up as she suppresses her emotions. "Yes," is all she says.
I watch her delicately extend an arm out, downwards into the well. The light intensifies with this motion, and I take a step forward to get a better look at what she's doing. I gasp silently as a beautiful and large bow materializes right above her palm, and she reaches out her other hand to take into her arms a quiver full of bows. She drops them on the ground in front of her, then hoists her legs back over the edge.
"You must know by now, my job is essentially done, Kagome." Her beautifully sad voice echoes just barely. "I have but one thing left to do. After that…it's your turn.
She goes back down into the well with a flash of light, and my headache very slowly and painstakingly subsides. I take a few steps to where she'd been, picking up the bow and the quiver…ah, it's heavy, I'm not used to holding these anymore.
A tear falls down my cheek, out of nowhere. Ugh. I wipe it away, but then more keep tumbling down. I fall to my knees, unable to deny it anymore, accepting bitterly that I'll just have to cry this one out.
After a while, I head back up the little set of stairs and open the doors, no issue. Inuyasha has been pressed up against them, and he stumbles backwards as I come out.
"H-hey, what happened?!" He asks.
He then notices my new weapons. "…Oh…"
I start to walk past him, and it kills me that he's not reaching out to touch me, though I can tell he's trying in spite of being apprehensive. "Kagome?"
"I'm going to bed," I tell him in a tired and hollow voice, regretting I can't just run into his arms like I want to. But to my surprise, he grabs my sleeve and stops me, turning me around.
"Don't act like you have to deal with this alone. That's what you told me, isn't it?"
Man, I'm so sick of crying! I burst out into tears again, like a big baby. I drop the bow and he takes me into his arms for a huge hug, and I get tears and snot all over the front of his shirt, and I feel guiltier than ever.
"Fuck, every time I'm not gentle with you, something like this seems to happen," He, very clearly, sounds entirely sober compared to earlier, and I sniffle hard as he talks. I love how his voice rumbles softly through his chest, and vibrates against my cheek. "I'm sorry, Kagome…"
"This wasn't your fault, though," I murmur, and he looks at me, and is blushing with his brows furrowed together. Oh. I'd almost forgotten about earlier. Through my tears, I let out a small laugh.
"You're overthinking it."
"I guess," He laughs back weakly, then sighs, petting my hair soothingly. He picks up my stuff I'd dropped on the ground, and heaves me over his shoulder. I let out a little cry as he takes a big leap and runs across my lawn, then leaps up into the air to land at my bedroom window. Aw, how sweet.
He opens it, since I habitually leave it unlocked for him, and he carries me over to my bed, placing me down on it gently. He puts the quiver and bow on the seat of my chair at my desk, and comes back over to kneel at my bedside, reaching out and stroking my hair again. Now instead of wanting to cry about Kikyou and her premonitions, I want to cry because of how nice he's being to me.
"Do you want me to stay?"
I blink, a little surprised by the question. Did he ask because he thinks he should? Or just to cheer me up, even if I say no?
"Sure," I whisper, sitting up. "You wait here. I'm going to shower."
"Can I join you?"
I giggle. "No!"
I don't make Inuyasha wait too long – I don't have to wash my hair, so I just scrub my body squeaky clean, and sigh about a million times in relief as I enjoy the abundance of hot water, remembering all those miserable times I had to bathe in cold lakes in the sengoku jidai.
I come back into my room in nothing but a towel. And, like the weirdo I am, I change into a little silk set of pajamas behind my door, not wanting him to see me naked. You know…not like we'd already slept together or anything…
I climb into bed with him; and jump a little as I realize he's only in his boxers.
"Don't worry," He mutters, like he thinks I'm scared he'll pounce on me. I laugh a bit, sheepishly adjusting myself under the covers as he holds them up for me, then wraps me up in his strong arms with a yawn and a delightfully calm sigh.
His skin…is so warm. Even without bathing with me, he smells clean and masculine and everything I crave. He breathes into my hair, holding me closer to him, tighter, like he's apologizing with his body for having been so indelicate with mine earlier this evening.
I want…to immerse myself in this moment for as long as possible, but with how comfortable and safe he's got me feeling, I pass out almost immediately.
In the morning, we leave for school together. I try to shove him out of my house, but my mama insists he stays for breakfast, which delights Souta more than anyone else. I'm so embarrassed, unsure why my mama is so okay with this! I almost…wanted to be sneaking him around like a NORMAL teenager with a NORMAL mom would have to do!
When we get to school, everyone's giving us those knowing grins. Most people had been at the party yesterday, and it almost feels surreal that it wasn't the weekend because of that. I hear rumors that the guy who nearly got hit by the bottle Inuyasha threw is looking to find whoever did it – to fight him – but I think once he finds out it was him, he'll back down on that.
During lunch, the four of us all skip and go to the rooftop together.
"Yeah…it's actually lucky you two left the party when you did, because the police came and broke it all up pretty early on," Miroku sighs sadly as he sets aside his bentou.
"Keh! That's what you get," Inuyasha sneers at him while slurping ramen.
"Oh yeah? Mr. Thinks-it's-okay-to-throw-glass-into-a-crowd-of-people?" Sango sticks her tongue out at him while he puts a hand behind his head and laughs. "Jesus! That was so annoying to clean up in the middle of a party! I mean…who even does that, drunk or not?! Kagome should have sat you."
He flinches, and yet again is overcome with relief, like every time. I resent more than anything the command still doesn't work.
"Guys, today we're going to find Naraku," Inuyasha totally changes the topic then, and we all look at him with surprise. "…No more fun and games."
I look down at my hands in my lap, remembering last night.
"Did…something happen to solicit this?" Miroku asks, noticing my downcast expression.
"I received a sign," I say quietly. "I saw Kikyou…by myself…and she gave me a set of arrows and a bow. I mean….well, what else could it mean?"
Sango and Miroku share a concerned look. "Inuyasha, did you ask Kagome-chan if she was okay with this?" She scolds him, and we both lift our heads in bewilderment.
"H-how can you ask me that?!" Inuyasha snarls back, getting visibly upset.
"Hey, no, it's alright," I get up to stand in between them, because now they look like they want to fight. "I appreciate your concern, Sango-chan…but really, it's okay. It was my fate to come into the sengoku jidai and eliminate the jewel in the first place, remember? It's just…continuing now, in my time."
Everyone glances away, really uncomfortable with my words. I sigh out. It's not like I'm happy about it either…
But what else could I do?
"I'll definitely protect you," Inuyasha swears to me, frowning resolutely.
"We'll all protect you." Sango cuts him off, giving me a grin.
I grin, feeling a lot better now, wiping my eyes at the first feeling of tears so I don't start actually crying in front of them.
"Thanks…you guys. I-I'll…try my best."
"Alright!" Inuyasha gets up. "Let's go!"
I shoot him a dirty look. "I am not missing another test because of you! You're gonna have to wait until after school when I'm done with my retake."
He growls at me, unable to argue, and Miroku holds his hands up at him. "Now, now, if we're going to rely on Kagome-sama so much, let's make it on her terms, alright?"
Inuyasha rolls his eyes impatiently. "Ughhh. Right, right, I got it. You all, meet me at my place when Kagome's done," He jumps up onto the top of the fence, leaps down, and disappears.
"Well, I guess we've been given our orders," Sango's sarcasm is scathing. We perk up as the warning bell rings, and rush back into the building so we can sneak back into the halls while they're crowded.
"Good luck with your test, Kagome," They tell me happily, as we separate ways.
I take in a deep breath as I head into my classroom. The test, which I haven't even had the chance to study for, somehow still seems easier than the circumstances the four of us are about to face.
Ah…I hope I'm ready.