DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.
Wherever You Will Go
Kagome forgot to breathe as she turned the corner. The once orderly street she'd called home these past few weeks looked less appealing than a garbage dump. What telephone poles had once stood were now either completely obliterated or in pieces with their lines angrily whipping this way and that. The nearest homes to her own were complete wrecks. Walls missing. Roofs collapsing. Trees on their sides with root-balls sticking up in the air. Other trees looked...
Well he unleashed a meido by the looks of them. Clean perfect half-circles obliterating trunks and foliage. Thank god they were the only ones living on this street at the moment. He could've killed someone or worse banished them to some endless void.
"Fuck," Kagome cursed softly as she took off running in the direction of what used to be their house. Nuances of the damage he'd inflicted went unnoticed as she climbed over an overturned tree in her way and shakily began walking at a painfully slow pace up to what little remained of their home.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out - cringing when her voice cracked slightly as desperation seeped in with every passing second, "Inuyasha? Answer me! Inuyasha?!"
With each passing moment the deafening silence stretched on, the fear gripping her soul swelled to previously unimaginable heights. Whatever idiot said 'there is nothing to fear but fear itself' must've lived an inconceivably sheltered existence. While she agreed that unjustified terror was pointless, to apply that phrase in a general sense to all things was an asinine proposition. Some fear was justified.
Like when your mentally unstable husband goes on a rampant destructive binger. When your quite rational fear was that the man you love more than life itself quite possibly ran to off himself. That...that was a justified fear in context. Yes, all fears are purely psychological to a degree but tangible, physical consequences weren't. If she had to admit, which she tried to do as her mind raced a mile a minute, it was about how you can't let those fears control you and keep you from acting. With that in mind, she needed to stay calm. Focus on finding him. Stopping...
"In my defense," came a hoarse voice from the foliage of one of the only standing trees, "I was left unsupervised."
Wilting in relief, Kagome's heart skipped a beat and simultaneously broke at the resignation and defeat in his tone. Slowly making her way to stand and look up into the branches, she hummed sadly at the tear stained face staring back.
"Come down here," she pleaded softly, "Or let me up. One or the other."
When he didn't move and instead chose to sink down into his selected branch, Kagome set her jaw determinedly and did the only logical thing.
She began climbing the tree.
Poorly but she was going to get to him eventually. Amber eyes wearily watched her movements and his muscles tensed like he was preparing to spring.
"Don't you do it," she panted heavily as she swung one leg over the lowest branch and shakily managed to straddle it, "I know I'm slow but you can be patient and wait."
Inuyasha laughed once despite himself - the sound biting and humorless - as the tension slowly melted and he lolled his head down to look at her.
"You're going to hurt yourself," he mumbled miserably as he reached down with one arm and caught her before she tumbled back onto the ground. Lifting her effortlessly, he settled her comfortably between his legs and pulled her tightly against his chest.
"I'm sorry," he breathed as he buried his nose into her hair, "I...I lost control."
"Because the doctor threatened me. I know. Koga said," Kagome hummed knowingly as she pressed her body closer and covered his arms with her own.
"Not exactly," Inuyasha admitted with a long sigh, "He suggested we separate."
Oh for the love of god! Of all the asinine things to suggest knowing that separation was what started Inuyasha down this road.
"Dumbass," Kagome snorted and she felt Inuyasha tense, "Not you. Him. Didn't you tell him about the well?"
"Yeah but...but he..." Inuyasha tried as his mind became fuzzy and his heart began to race, "I don't..."
"Just breathe," Kagome instructed as she moved one of his hands onto her chest and gave a few highly exaggerated breaths which he began to follow. Something wet dropped onto her scalp from where his nose was buried in her hair.
"I'm sorry," he repeated hoarsely as the hand against her chest exerted the lightest of pressure.
"It's going to be okay," she promised softly, "I'm not upset with you and I forgive you. It's going to be okay."
Alarms began wailing in the distance and she felt him shudder.
"But I'm going to get in trouble, right? They'll put me back in that hospital. Or...or...and the house? Where will we live?"
"Never liked that house anyway," she admitted quietly as she reached up to scratch behind one ear, "And you don't need to worry about anything. I'll handle it. I'll talk to them."
Inuyasha nodded as the arm around her waist tightened.
"I love you," he managed before releasing a shuddering breath and more moisture was deposited atop her head.
"I love you too," Kagome hummed before the sirens suddenly ceased and she heard several doors slammed.
"Everyone alright up there," a strangely high pitched female voice called out and Inuyasha flinched. As the officer approached, Kagome made out a mostly human looking woman with long elegant feather-like hair pulled back into a loose bun. Several shorter feathers framed her pale heart shaped face illuminated by crimson eyes and a large beak like nose. A bird youkai of some sort.
"Yeah, we're fine," Kagome called back as she continued scratching Inuyasha's ear.
"Looks like an attack," the officer called out as she slowly came into view before making a small knowing hum, "Tough time adjusting?"
"Yeah," Kagome replied as she tried to move but Inuyasha seemed frozen in place. Coughing lightly, the miko gave the crimson eyed officer an apologetic grimace.
"Hey, we've all been there. I think I lost it after a month of being indoors. Blew up a barn or something. Happens to the best of us," the officer laughed softly as she pulled out her notepad and looked over her shoulder at the other officers approaching.
"It's an code five adjustment," she called back and Kagome swore she heard one of the officers laugh and someone say softly 'Told you. Pay up.'
"So for the first offense, it's a warning," the bird youkai offered kindly as she gave Inuyasha a warm reassuring smile, "That means nothing happens to you, okay? Just be more careful and if you're feeling pent up take a run because next time it's a fine. Third time a misdemeanor. Fourth offense a felony and jail time. Just need your name and, uh, was this your house?"
Kagome chuckled nervously and nodded.
"Okay, so I'll need an address. Where does your family live ma'am?"
Inuyasha wanted to be relieved that no one seemed upset with him. Really he did. He wanted to laugh and shrug guiltily or act cocky. Instead he only felt despair and disappointment. A part of him wanted to be punished. Wanted someone to scream at him or be upset at him instead of everyone walking on thin ice around him. While he understood why everyone was doing that, really he did, knowing only made him feel that much more miserable.
"...the city will probably impose a civil fine for the damage to the utilities but it shouldn't be very much. No more than a phone bill," the officer was still speaking he realized, "It'll be mailed to the address you gave me. There might be another fine for the demolition but honestly, they've been talking about leveling this street for years so I doubt it. I'm surprised they let you live here. Thought it'd been condemned."
Kagome tensed and cleared her throat. Yeah that was suspiciously left out of the Rainbow Fish realtor's sales pitch. Inuyasha didn't react other than to hold her tighter.
"Well anyway, that seems to be about it," the officer sighed as she ripped off a piece of paper, removed a feather from her hair and used it to pin the ticket to the tree. Satisfied it was in place, she gave Inuyasha an understanding and sympathetic look.
"Like I said we've all been there. Going from living out there," she nodded to the mountains in the distance, "To a human-like society is hard. Way back when there was a lot more of this type of thing. But you'll get used to it eventually. They've added some nice arcades to satiate your instincts. Or there's the resort."
That caught Kagome's attention.
"The resort?" she asked a little desperately and the officer grinned.
"Oh yeah. I'm sure you've heard of Niseko," the officer chuckled with a wicked grin, "Most expensive resort in all of Japan. Completely youkai run. Best part is almost no one visits during the summer so we can run around and do as we please."
Kagome swallowed thickly before she asked, "So humans can visit there? Like my family could visit."
"Humans can come and go," the bird laughed in a grating high pitched way, "It's really nice."
"Can't go then" she heard Inuyasha mumble miserably as he held her waist impossibly tighter. Shushing him gently, the miko adjusted herself to look the bird more fully in the face.
"Well thank you. We'll, um, keep that in mind," Kagome replied as she cast a pointed glance at Inuyasha and the officer nodded in understanding.
"I'll leave you guys to it. Have a nice night."
As she left, Kagome let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding as she slowly and awkwardly turned in Inuyasha's vice grip until she was facing him. Or rather looking upon his downturned face.
"We can't go anywhere," he mumbled as a single tear slid down his cheek, "You know we can't. Not to that...that resort thing. Or the shrine. Or even back home. Or...or I can't..."
"Look at me. Inuyasha look at me," Kagome ordered softly before saying to hell with it and gripping his face to force him to look at her. His normal vibrant eyes looked dull and empty as heavy lids blinked sluggishly at her. Another tear breaking free and sliding down his cheek as he waited for whatever she wanted to tell him.
"I told you we would go wherever you want to go," she reminded him none too gently, "If you want to stay here, fine. If you want to move to a new country or city or live in a hole in the ground, fine. Even if...even if you don't want me to come with you, fine but you are not trapped."
Inuyasha sighed shakily and reached up to remove her hands.
"I want you to come with me but...but I need you to do what you said," he admitted quietly as he gently ran his thumb over her right wrist, "I want you to handle it. You to talk to people. I...I..."
He inhaled deeply and released a shaky exhale.
"I am not in a place right now to know where I want to be. To know where I should be," he continued softly, "Other than I'd like...I'd like to be somewhere green. More open. And quiet."
He glanced up at her and swallowed.
"Somewhere where your family can visit," he added barely above a whisper, "But nature ya know? It's so loud here. And it smells."
Kagome smiled and nodded.
"I'll do my best. Is it okay if I ask for your opinions?" she asked vaguely as he seemed to wilt in relief, "I want to make sure I pick a good place. There's so many shades of green."
Letting out a shaky laugh, Inuyasha nodded and pulled her into a tight embrace. For the first time in what seemed like forever, there was a true flicker of hope that there might yet be a light at the end of the tunnel. That everything might work out. He'd half-expected a battle or to have Kagome ripped from his arms or any number of generally shitty things stemming from his overwhelmingly shitty behavior. But it hadn't. Not yet at least. Maybe...maybe it would all be okay. He'd get control. Feel like himself again. Life wouldn't be an ocean of pain and suffering and could be something pleasant. Calm even.
And he knew Kagome was the only person who could make that happen. She'd save him like she always did. It'd be okay. He'd see.
"Thank you Kagome."
