Reasons

Summary: She was running away. Running away from the past, from her present, from her failures. When she lost everyone important, everyone who mattered, she lost her reasons to live...a glowing gold butterfly is hoping to help her find it again.

Anime/Movie: InuYasha/Encanto

Genre: Romance/Family (Hurt/Comfort)

Pairing: Kagome (17)/Camilo (16)

-x-x-x-

"Am I in the wrong?" Alma tightly fisted her hands at her sides. Pacing in her room, she took a deep breath and exhaled a heavy sigh. Alma brought a hand to her forehead, feeling a sudden ache from behind her eyes. Her vision gave in and out for a moment before she sat down on the edge of her bed. "Goodness, I should go see about-" she stopped, shaking her head. "Julieta isn't in any position to be worrying about these old bones." Looking at her hands, she watched them shake ever so slightly. Rubbing her hands together, Alma lifted her shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders.

For a moment, she considered getting up, but a worry of fear swelled inside of her. Staying where she sat, she moved her attention to the dresser where the once shining, burning, flourishing candle she'd protected had long ago stood tall. Now a melted stub around a burnt wick. "...where has the time gone. My love, Pedro, I'm scared." Tears began to form at the edges of her eyes, her heartbeat accelerating as she sat there crying.

-x-x-x-

Kagome leaned against the wall outside of Alma's room. She had been heading upstairs to see Julieta. It'd been a couple of days now since she'd been bedridden, and Kagome was wondering if, maybe, just maybe... she could do something to help her. Listening to the old woman sob softly in the safe confines of her room. Kagome sighed, pushing away from the wall. She moved a few doors away and smiled, recognizing the door from her dream. She recognized all of them, memorized them even. Knocking on the door, she listened. "Julieta?"

"Kagome? Come in, dear."

Opening the door, Kagome wasn't the least bit surprised when she found Agustin and Mirabel at the woman's bedside. She smiled at the three of them and walked in closer to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, everyone's worrying so much. It's nowhere near as bad as my family is making it out to be."

Nodding, Kagome looked her over. She was lying. "I see... so you feel like you could stand in the kitchen for another sixteen-hour shift." Taking a seat beside Mirabel, she stared into Julieta's eyes, warm...yet weary. "You know, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year... three hundred and sixty-six on the leap years."

Julieta tightened her fingers in the comforter of her bed. "Perhaps I'm not feeling as well as I thought."

Laughing a bit, Kagome held her hand out to Julieta and was happy when she returned the gesture. Taking the frail hand, Kagome closed her eyes, and a familiar warm glow poured steadily from the tip of her fingers. "I didn't want to intervene... but I think it would be wrong of me not to. If I'm able to do something to ease your hurt, heal your pain, then nothing should stop me." Opening her eyes, she could see the stress fading from her eyes and face. "Looking better already. Now, take the rest of the day off, not to heal, but to relax."

"Are you going to stay and become the Encanto's residential doctor?" Even though this was a joke, Mirabel was still staring with wide eyes at the glow that slowly faded from her mother.

"No, that's not for me. I can't cure everything, only...minor injuries. Your mother suffers from extreme exhaustion and fatigue. That, I can help with. Something severe, something life-threatening...I can't." Her hands gave way to anxiety tremors, and she quickly placed them behind her; smiling, Kagome excused herself.

"Kagome!" Julieta called, sitting up and feeling stronger than she had in years. "Kagome," she called again, waiting until Kagome turned to face her. "Thank you."

Shrugging her shoulders, she gave a half bow and slipped out of the room.

"She's such a good girl, and that...what she just did..."

"How did she receive a gift?"

"Mirabel?"

"Oh, no, mama, don't worry! All I meant was, if she has one, then it isn't limited at all to the Madrigals. I always thought that gifts like that were special to my family, but... Kagome was right. I know Abuela probably doesn't want to hear this, but Kagome is healthy for us. That's what I feel, at least."

Kagome shook her head and moved back to Alma's door. Sure that the woman had plenty of time to calm down now, she gave a knock of uncertainty. Waiting, listening, she heard her clear her throat and force out a "come in." Not waiting for her to change her mind, she opened the door and entered the room with a firm resolve.

"You-"

Kagome held her hand out and stopped the woman mid-sentence. "I came here to say something. Honestly, my heart is racing, and the idea of saying any of this scares me, but I really—need to say this." Kagome wasn't sure what motivational nudge she needed to keep talking, but she wouldn't oppose it if someone gave it to her. Now, preferably.

Alma looked like she wanted to say something, to retaliate, but she didn't. Alma looked away for a moment before finally holding her hand out to the tuffet at the end of her bed.

Kagome stilled for a heartbeat before walking forward and taking a seat. "I was braver on the other side of the door." Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and took a slow, steady, careful breath. "I didn't come here thinking everyone would accept me. I'm a stranger, and I only knew Camilo before my arrival. Through dreams, I met him, and he became such a wonderful friend. I told him many things, we got to know each other, but I was still too scared to tell him all of my secrets. The things that weigh my heart down." Standing, she moved to the window and looked out at the Encanto. Twidling her fingers in her hands, she spun around, hair flaring, tears burning in her eyes.

"Child,"

"If I had it my way, I wouldn't be here."

Alma balked at the fierce heat in her words. Feeling insulted, she could hardly believe her ears.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"..."

"I'm a coward. I ran away from a world without my family. I was forced to watch a monster kill my friends and family, and like a coward, I ran away. This place is a haven for cowards... isn't it." Camilo had told her the story of how the Encanto came to be. How his grandfather died protecting Alma and their three kids, and how from Alma's hope and Pedro's sacrifice, the Encanto was born. She knew Alma had more in common with her than she'd ever like to admit. "My mother, grandfather...brother... all dead. The man who took them from me...I would have let him kill me too, but he wouldn't do it." Alma bit back whatever she'd been about to say. Reaching out uncertainly, she pulled back and placed her hands in her lap. Kagome sat back down, "not yet. That's what he said. Not yet..."

"A demon,"

Kagome huffed a broken laugh, "yeah, a demon. That is a pretty accurate description. To be perfectly honest, I was scared to come here, and even more so to stay here. I kept thinking he'd find me. No matter where I ran to, he would find me. He just had to. After all, things are starting to come together in my life, and I'm finally starting to feel like I can be a part of something beautiful again. Why wouldn't he appear and take it away from me?"

Alma nodded sadly, "I know that fear. I wanted to protect my family, the Encanto, and Casita. I became lost... to fear. Kagome," she heaved a sigh with a heavy heart. "I can't tell you that the pain will go away. It never does. It'll always linger and always hurt, but...you can fill your heart with warm feelings until your heart swells and love overflows."

"...Alma...what should I do?"

Shaking her head, Alma placed a feeble hand on Kagome's hand. Patting it a few times as she stood up and walked across her room. Unsteady, she slowed down a bit before lifting a photo.

Watching the older woman curiously, Kagome reached her energy out and gently trailed it along the woman. Her eyes widened as she felt the familiar flicker of energy and frowned. "You're sick..."

"I'm not sick," she smiled, "I'm old." Turning around, she sat down beside Kagome, taking the girl's hand in hers. Rubbing it gently as she tried to reassure her. "It's okay, though. I've come to accept it."

Pushing her energy up along the woman, Alma watched curiously as the pink tentatively ran along her hands. It didn't take long before the pink glow enveloped her whole body. To her surprise, Kagome began crying. Bringing her hand to the girl's cheek, she laughed. Nothing about the situation was funny in the least bit, but somehow, that's all she could do. "Kagome, what are you trying to do?"

"...I can heal...I stopped by Julieta's room and already helped her, but..."

"You can't heal age, Kagome. Time is ruthless."

"...yes, it is." Kagome lifted her hand to her necklace. A reckless thought crossed her mind, and she clenched her hand around the pink stone dangling at the end of the silver strand. Eyes closed tightly, she heaved a broken sigh and met Alma's eyes. "...I don't know what to do."

"You need not do anything. I, on the other hand, owe you an apology. I was afraid of you."

"Afraid of me?!"

"You were coming into my home, my Encanto, and my family loved you. I felt like if I were to leave now..."

Shaking her head, Kagome cried out, "how could they!? Your children, your grandchildren, and even the townsfolk! They all love you so much, Alma. You are their precious family. No one could ever take your place."

Alma smiled, feeling a ghost of pressure leave her heart. "Perhaps, but maybe it's time someone does."

Not sure what she meant by that, Kagome watched her eyes trail across the room and graze across a candle. What was left of it, at least? The two spent a few more hours talking, no longer feeling hindered by the pressures of fear or entitlement. They spoke comfortably and easily. Crying a bit more, laughing easier, they were able to breathe finally. Nearly dinner time, Alma could hear Mirabel and Camilo calling out for Kagome and herself from downstairs. Walking to the door, she placed her hand on the knob and stalled for a moment. Locking her eyes with Kagome's, she smiled sadly, "bad things happen to good people, Kagome. You are a good person, and I'm happy that you've come to our Encanto. I would be even happier if you decided to stay with us."

"...is that okay? I know Naraku. He'll search for me until he finds me. If he finds this place—"

"You don't worry about that. You focus on the here and now, understood?"

"Of course, Alma." Smiling up at the old woman, she felt her heart relax for the first time in what felt like years. When Alma opened the door, Kagome walked out and started down the steps. Pausing, she glanced back at Madrigals' matriarch, who was still watching her from the doorway. "Aren't you coming?"

"I will. You go on ahead."

Returning to her room, Alma stumbled, and her hands reached out, catching herself on the edge of her dresser. Heaving deep breaths, she tried to steady her heart. Lightly touching her hand along the candle, she closed her eyes and could faintly make out her beloved Pedro. "So soon?" She chuckled. "Give me just...a little more time."

-x-x-x-

Me: Here is chapter 13 of Reasons. I played with this chapter for a good while and decided now was the right time for Kagome and Alma to talk. This is more than even Camilo knows.