Also, let's all have a large round of applause for Liz-Sama, who's currently making these chapters possible. Without her to upload these for me, I would have long ago bashed my brains out against the moniter of the computer. u.u The uploading system doesn't seem to like Macintosh-ified files..
And now, without further ado.. Chapter Two. ^.^
Chapter Two -- Out Here On My Own
Even though she denied it, saying instead that she preferred the freedom and warmth of summer, autumn had always been her favorite season. October mornings were crisp and beautiful, with falling amber leaves.. she'd always smile upon looking out her window every morning to see leaves of amber and red framed against a soft white/grey sky. Those colors were very familiar to her.
This day, however, she missed the delight that morning usually brings -- the sun rose to find Kagome still asleep in her bed, and it seemed as though it hid behind the clouds just so as not to disturb her. The moon, still visible against the sky (turned a blinding blue since the morning fog dissipated), seemed to smile sadly down upon the sleeping girl, remembering the sorrows of the night before.
When Kagome finally rose from a sound sleep, it was well into the afternoon. Her family, unaware that she'd returned late the night before, had gone out for the day. Deprived of their company and lacking a sufficient amount of schoolwork -- amazingly, she'd been able to almost catch up over the winter break -- Kagome inexplicably found herself with absolutely nothing to do.
She wandered the house for a time, being sluggish about getting showered and dressed and fed, and nearly jumped out of her skin as the phone rang. She was so unused to that sound; it had been months since she'd even answered her own telephone. Sighing at the implications but still overjoyed to do such a simple task as answering a phone, she snatched the receiver from the cradle and proudly questioned, "Hello?"
"Kagome-Chan! You're feeling better, how wonderful!"
"Y-yes, thank you! I'm feeling fine." Not a male voice; not Hojo.
"Strep throat is awful, I had it when I was younger. I'm glad you're okay!" Wince. Well, at least it was a believable disease this time..
"Right.." She simply agreed, somewhat at a loss. After a moment, she placed the voice -- her friend from school, Mairu. Not a close friend, but one she saw around a lot. Or used to, anyway.
"Anyway, Kagome, since you're feeling better.. a new store just opened down at the mall. They're having an opening sale, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me! Do you have any money?"
She had a ton, actually -- not being around to spend any of her allowance would do that. "A--ah, sure, Mairu. I'll go with you, I guess." Shopping. NOT her favorite pastime, but.. still, it would be fun to do something so utterly mundane as go shopping.. and not have to worry about shards or demons or Inuyasha.
"Great! I'll be at your house in ten minutes -- we can walk together. Bye!"
"Bye.." She hung up, somewhat bemused, and then happened to catch a glance of her reflection in the window. Blinking, she scurried back upstairs, and quickly exchanged her skirt and oversized sweater for a pair of shorts and a tank top, plus a floor-length jacket. Rummaging around in her closet, she found a baseball cap with English letters on it, and was just tying her sneakers when the doorbell rang. She couldn't help doing a little pose in the mirror, laughing at how her wavy hair flowed out from under the cap. She looked like one of the American girls in her mother's magazine.
The next few hours were spent laughing and chattering happily about exactly nothing with Mairu, and purchasing a few guilty pleasures that she quite definitely didn't need -- a bracelet of alternating black and tan beads, three blacks for every tan, the tan ones bigger than the black ones. She'd bought it immediately, just liking the way it looked -- and had only realized later that it reminded her of Inuyasha's necklace.
She bought a manga book, too, and a cute little pin portraying her favorite character from said book; she smiled at how his soft-looking brown hair matched her shirt. Mairu had introduced her to the series, although she liked the purple-haired guy.. girl? Kagome thought she/he was a little weird. She was deciding whether or not to buy a cute pair of jeans -- she hardly ever wore them, but it was getting too cold for skirts -- when Mairu's cell phone rang.
"I've gotta go, Kagome. Sorry!" She tilted her head apologetically, making a motion like slitting her throat. "Mom's gonna kill me. She kinda told me I couldn't go out till I finished my homework." She grinned, winked, and ran off. "See ya later!" Kagome shook her head. Mairu was kind of a nut sometimes.. she did nothing but read manga and break rules, and yet managed to pass most of her classes with flying colors. She spent a lot of time on the Internet, spoke fluent English, and often said that she was going to fly away and live in America with her boyfriend. When asked about said boyfriend, she'd only smile and say "Well, I'm sure I'll find one!" Kagome was sure of it, too. Mairu was fun to be around; everyone liked her. Feeling almost sad for the moment, she lowered her head and wished that she had more friends.
A moment later, though, she thought of Sango and Shippo and Miroku -- and then immediately decided to buy them gifts. It'd be Christmas in another few months, after all!
And just maybe, she'd find something for Inuyasha, too.
*
"What was that?"
Yawn. "What was what?"
"What you just said," Shippo insisted, climbing over to sit on his knee. "Tell me what it was."
"I can't," Miroku yawned again, sitting up and stretching. " I don't know what it was."
Shippo eyed him suspiciously, leaf-green eyes narrowing as he pointed a small finger. "You were sleep-talking. About Kagome."
A small bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. "Was I?"
"Yeah. You said something about the Jewel, too." Shippo nodded decisively, then looked over at the sulking figure seated up in a tree. As usual. "But I guess it doesn't matter much. Inuyasha has it now, right?"
"Just until Kagome-Sama comes back to retrieve it, yes." Miroku rose to his feet, then smiled reassuringly at the Kitsune. Shippo, who had scrambled up to sit on his shoulder, grinned back happily at this offhand reminder that Kagome would return soon. Maybe today, even! Suddenly exited, Shippo leapt from Miroku's shoulder and scurried off in the direction of the well.
The Monk's smile faded as his companion ran off -- he remembered the dream and his reaction very well, thank you very much. He turned his troubled gaze to Inuyasha, wondering how to broach the difficult subject. He was frightened, oddly, but frightened for Kagome. Dammit all, if he had his way, the stubborn Priestess would be dragged back right now, regardless of whatever it was she and Inuyasha were fighting about this time.
*
Said priestess, however, had plans of her own. Those plans involved getting home, sorting purchases, and entering a steaming hot bath. Preferably soon.
She hummed as she walked down the aisles, mostly out of money by now, but still admiring a few things here and there. She smiled upon seeing a dress that reminded her of Sango -- it was short-sleeved and long, the pale blue material clinging to the mannequin's body as it fell to the floor. Written on the chest was the word "Rar!" with a little snarly face under it. It reminded her of how Sango looked when Miroku made a pass at her. Kagome giggled, wondering if she should buy it for her, then abruptly decided against it upon casual inspection of the price tag.
She strolled out of the store, inhaling and smiling as the fresh October breeze hit her face. It was getting chilly, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. Indeed, of the few people on the streets this evening, even fewer wore jackets.. Kagome blinked. 'Few' was right.. there was hardly anyone out. She glanced around, confirming it -- she could see maybe three or four people, already on the way to different stores or houses. She wondered suddenly what time it was; about dinner time, probably, which explained where everyone was.
She wondered where the others were.. her friends, that is. She glanced up at the sky, walking slowly along the sidewalk as her vision blurred -- no matter what she said, she sometimes hated coming home. It was her time, her life, her world, but .. Even though she often thought of Inuyasha's time as being parallel to her own, it sometimes hit her that they were all dead in this world. Miroku and Sango would have died long ago, while Inuyasha and Shippo were a bit longer lived.. but still. Where she was, as she was, right now.. they no longer existed.
Jeez.. I'm being so stupid. It basically is a parallel world.. because I can go back whenever I want to. And anyway.. I don't exist in their world, either..
..Except as Kikyo..
No. She wouldn't think of that, or she'd just get angry all over again. Without conscience thought, she reached up to touch the Shikon no Tama at her neck, frowning when it wasn't there. Without wanting to, she suddenly remembered.
"It's as if I could never measure up to what she was!"
"Then why the hell do you try so hard not to be like her!?"
"Because my soul is mine, not hers!"
He was silent for a long time, looking at her with something akin to pain in his eyes. It was etched on his face, too, and the way he flinched away when she yelled.
She was past caring.
"Well? Aren't you going to tell me I'm wrong? .. Talk to me, dammit!"
"Kagome.. ..What? What the fuck is that look??" He was defensive again, yelling -- it was really all he ever did, wasn't it?
"You just don't get it at all, do you?"
"Keh! It's not like you're fucking explaining anything!" He folded his arms, looked away.. indifferent. Fed up, annoyed, uncaring..
"I am! I am, but you don't care! You never care! You never even try! You can have this back, Inuyasha, and good luck finding the rest of it!"
"H-hey -- Fine! Go! And don't fucking come back for it, either!"
"Fine!"
She should at least go back for her bike.. but, without the Shikon Jewel, she wasn't sure she could..
That's why she'd given it to him, she knew. So she wouldn't give in and go back, like she always did. This time.. this time, it was up to him.
But.. She sighed as she continued to walk home, her feet aching. I really do miss my bike..