Well, I'm back!! I've had some good reviews!! Thanks, everyone!! Also,
I'm gonna explain about the whole different time span thing in this chapter
(or maybe the next one, if I don't get to it)! It might get confusing,
though! (Believe me, I think I confused myself!) Well, hope you enjoy! Oh
yeah, and they're not mine.
~~~~~
Ch. 2 Old Friends and New Ones
Shippou looked down into the well where Kagome had appeared just seconds ago. She had seen him, then fainted. Do I look that different, he thought to himself. He merely shrugged it off and leapt into the well, being careful not to land on the person he had waited so long for. He almost couldn't believe it, but he could see her, and he could smell her, and when he scooped her up into his arms, he could feel her. He could even hear her heart beat, as rhythmic and soothing as it had been when he was younger, and would sleep by her.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he immediately leapt back up to the lip of the well, perching on the side for a moment to get a better look at her. Yes, she had grown while they had been apart. But, she didn't appear to have aged 72 years, like Miroku and Sango had. Perhaps, just perhaps, their descendants could help him figure it out. It would mean tricking Kagome, but it would also help her adjust to the situation easier. He sighed softly. He knew what he would do. He smiled warmly at the woman who used to carry him, and slowly made his way back to the village where he had lived for so long.
~~*~~
He glanced around the area, hoping to see either Hanoku or his sister, Hikana somewhere. He felt, instead, a soft pressure against his ankles, and looked down to see Kirara looking at the person in his arms curiously. He smiled a smile he had never thought he could again before whispering to the demon-cat, "She came back, Kirara. Kagome came back."
At this bit of news, of course, the former companion to Sango leapt up to his shoulder and looked down into the unconscious woman's face. She made a surprised, yet happy, sound, and leapt off, most likely to find her latest owners, who would be more than delighted to meet the miko they had heard so many stories about. Shippou quickly followed, be careful not to run into anyone or anything, in hopes that Kagome would sleep until he was able to set up his scene for her.
Moments later, he found himself in Hikana's hut, her brother and she arguing fiercely over whether or not Hikana's daughter should be trained as a demon exterminator. Right in the middle of an insult, denouncing the strength and fighting skills of women, Shippou decided to intervene.
"Oh, so women are weak, are they?!"
"Yeah! Weaker than men, at least. I mean, honestly, how many woman are famous for their strength and amazing abilities?! Not many -"
"Well, Hanoku, before you say that, you might want to count the women in your family, plus..." He couldn't help but smile. "This one, right here."
The two adults looked over at him curiously, then noticed the bundle he carried. "Who is that, Shippou?" They both made their way over to him to get a better look, and before he could answer Hanoku's question, they had already figured it out.
"It's not... It can't be... her, can it??" Hikana kept looking at the woman, taking in the odd clothing, the peaceful aura, and the feeling of magic around her. She looked back at Shippou, boring her gaze into the blue-green eyes of the man she had called Uncle as a child. "It can't be, Kagome, can it?"
The kitsune smiled and nodded, feeling the tears threatening again, this time in joy as he held his loved one's body close to him. Then he remembered why he had came, and looked at the siblings hopefully. "I've got a problem, though. Apparently time didn't pass equally for the two of us, since she's only seemed to age a couple of years or so. I need you to ask her what happened, and I'll stay to see what she says. She doesn't know about you, though, nor does she expect me to be fully-grown. So, in order to make her feel more comfortable, and to help her adjust, we're going to make her think nothing's changed. That you, Hanoku, are Miroku, the perverted monk," "That won't be too hard for him." "Hey!" "You, Hikana, have to be Sango. And me, well, I'll be me. But when I cast this illusion, I'll look like I did when I last saw her. I just hope she doesn't try to hug me. Illusions are only good on the eyes and ears."
About this time, Kagome began to move around again, sighing softly. Shippou knew he had literally moments to place a veil over them, changing their looks. He quickly laid Kagome on the ground, not wanting to let go, but knowing he had to, for her sake. He sighed and took a step back before concentrating on what changes needed to be made. He was very glad that all the descendants tended to look like the friends who had raised him. Hanoku's eyes lightened to his ancestor's lighter blue color, and his hair appeared shorter and more un-kept. He appeared to be wearing the robes of a monk, black and purple, and he smirked at his sister who was now the spitting image of Sango. Kirara, of course, needed no changes, but Shippou knew he had to look young again. Like the child that had stolen Inuyasha's and Kagome's jewel shards before they fought the Thunder Brothers.
He sighed in relief as he sat near Kagome, close enough to let her know he was there, but far away to keep her from reaching out to him. Please don't let my reluctance to go to her upset her, he thought. As a cub, he had always leapt into Kagome's arms the first possible chance. Now, she could easily leap into his. He smiled at this, only to be brought back to earth by a soft voice, whispering, "Sango?"
The Sango look-alike crept slightly closer to Kagome, looking at her and smiling as only a mother can. Hikana looked down at the woman who was a legend, and felt pride and respect swell inside her breast. This was the priestess born with the Shikon No Tama inside her body. The one with amazing miko abilities. She snapped out of her daze when she realized that she was receiving a worried look from the younger woman. "Hello, Kagome. It's okay, I'm here, don't worry. Shippou, and even the..." Hikana tried to remember what Shippou always called Miroku. "Hentai houshi is here." At Kagome's smile and weak laugh, she knew she had been right.
Almost as if on cue, Hanoku stepped forward and kneeled next to the woman Shippou loved so dearly. "Lady Kagome," he was glad he could actually remember what he was supposed to call her, "how did you come to be here? We thought we'd never see you again."
Kagome sighed. "I...don't know, Miroku. I was sitting in my room at home, studying, heh, as usual, and I thought I heard a man cry out for me." Hanoku, when he saw the priestess wasn't looking, spared a glance at his surrogate uncle, whom he could see blush behind his illusion. "But when I went outside to look for him, no one was there. Next thing I know, I'm standing in front of the old well, looking down into it and remembering all of you, and wishing so badly I could come back. I missed you all so much, and I just wanted to be able to see you all again. I began to cry, and I saw one of my own tears go into the well, and then... the well began to glow. I leapt in, and was sent back. I realized I was in a shadow, which meant someone was looking in, and I glanced up to see this guy looking down at me. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here."
Hikana nodded and began to brush her fingers against Kagome's forehead in order to soothe her back to sleep. "Kagome," she whispered, "You did not return to the time you knew." At Kagome's curious glance, Sango's face began to slowly fade away as Shippou relaxed the illusion, letting Hikana tell her. "You see, Kagome, I don't know how many years passed for you, but, here, well..." Now the illusion was completely gone, and Kagome found herself looking at a different woman, but also the same woman. She looked to where Miroku had been sitting, only to find herself staring into the eyes of a man about the monk's age, with dark blue eyes.
"Lady Kagome, what my dear sister is trying to say is..." Hanoku took a deep breath. "Since you have left this world, 72 years have passed. We are the great-grandchildren of Miroku and Sango."
~~*~~
72 years? But, that's not possible! Kagome tried to get used to the concept. But how could so many years pass for them, and so few pass for me?! She felt the woman's fingers still moving softly against her forehead, and succumbed to the feeling, drifting off to a dreamless sleep yet again.
~~*~~
Shippou sighed. She had been upset, he could tell. Her eyes were confused and scared, but also sad. She believed she had lost her friends. He looked over to the adults he had bounced on his knees as babies, and nodded his thanks. "I suppose I should be getting home. Do you think she would come with me, or would she want to stay here with you?" Hanoku was more than willing to let her stay with him, but he was the descendant of Miroku, and all the men in the family tended to be alike. The fox-demon looked at Hikana who told him she couldn't, since she and her family had to go to a nearby village early in the morning to rid them of a snake youkai who tended to like the younger girls.
In the end, the kitsune was carrying Kagome back to his home, only a few meters away from the dry well, hoping she would be calm enough when she woke up to hear him out. He looked down at her calm face, and felt the smile tugging at his lips again. He couldn't help himself, and hugged her slightly closer to him, slightly surprised when she snuggled against him. Happier than he had been in over half a century, Shippou thought over Kagome's words.
'I heard a man cry out for me...' How could she have heard me, he wondered. Was it even me she heard? Perhaps someone else was there, and she just didn't see them. He wasn't complaining, though. Not when she was here with him. 'Next thing I know, I'm standing in front of the old well, looking down into it and remembering all of you, and wishing so badly I could come back. I missed you all so much, and I just wanted to be able to see you all again. I began to cry, and I saw one of my own tears go into the well, and then... the well began to glow.'
This is what he thought about the most. Her tears had fallen into the well. His own tears had also gone down that well. He considered the time when she had been sealed away by Inuyasha, who had attempted to protect her by sending her back and stealing her jewel shard. He had rescued the shard from being taken by another demon, and had ran to the well, only to jump in and hit his head on a branch of the tree the Hanyou had shoved in. When he had woken up, the shard had somehow been able to bring Kagome back.
He positioned Kagome so he could open the door without hurting her, and rested her on his bed, which wasn't much more than a mat and some blankets. She was reluctant to leave his embrace, curling up against him. He smiled at her. Just as childish as ever. Then it hit him. Their tears. Was it their tears that had connected them? She still had the jewel inside her body, and her longing to come back, combined with his longing to see her from the other side of the well, must have somehow caused the jewel to relinquish it's hold on the wooden structure.
Whatever it is, he thought to himself as he pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, I'm simply happy to have my Kagome back. He smiled and sat next to the sleeping woman, waiting to greet her when she awoke.
~~~~~~
Hey there! MAN! It's 12:40 here! A.M.! Feel loved, people!! Hope you appreciate this! Well, tell me what you think!! Please review!! Sounding good so far??
~~~~~
Ch. 2 Old Friends and New Ones
Shippou looked down into the well where Kagome had appeared just seconds ago. She had seen him, then fainted. Do I look that different, he thought to himself. He merely shrugged it off and leapt into the well, being careful not to land on the person he had waited so long for. He almost couldn't believe it, but he could see her, and he could smell her, and when he scooped her up into his arms, he could feel her. He could even hear her heart beat, as rhythmic and soothing as it had been when he was younger, and would sleep by her.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he immediately leapt back up to the lip of the well, perching on the side for a moment to get a better look at her. Yes, she had grown while they had been apart. But, she didn't appear to have aged 72 years, like Miroku and Sango had. Perhaps, just perhaps, their descendants could help him figure it out. It would mean tricking Kagome, but it would also help her adjust to the situation easier. He sighed softly. He knew what he would do. He smiled warmly at the woman who used to carry him, and slowly made his way back to the village where he had lived for so long.
~~*~~
He glanced around the area, hoping to see either Hanoku or his sister, Hikana somewhere. He felt, instead, a soft pressure against his ankles, and looked down to see Kirara looking at the person in his arms curiously. He smiled a smile he had never thought he could again before whispering to the demon-cat, "She came back, Kirara. Kagome came back."
At this bit of news, of course, the former companion to Sango leapt up to his shoulder and looked down into the unconscious woman's face. She made a surprised, yet happy, sound, and leapt off, most likely to find her latest owners, who would be more than delighted to meet the miko they had heard so many stories about. Shippou quickly followed, be careful not to run into anyone or anything, in hopes that Kagome would sleep until he was able to set up his scene for her.
Moments later, he found himself in Hikana's hut, her brother and she arguing fiercely over whether or not Hikana's daughter should be trained as a demon exterminator. Right in the middle of an insult, denouncing the strength and fighting skills of women, Shippou decided to intervene.
"Oh, so women are weak, are they?!"
"Yeah! Weaker than men, at least. I mean, honestly, how many woman are famous for their strength and amazing abilities?! Not many -"
"Well, Hanoku, before you say that, you might want to count the women in your family, plus..." He couldn't help but smile. "This one, right here."
The two adults looked over at him curiously, then noticed the bundle he carried. "Who is that, Shippou?" They both made their way over to him to get a better look, and before he could answer Hanoku's question, they had already figured it out.
"It's not... It can't be... her, can it??" Hikana kept looking at the woman, taking in the odd clothing, the peaceful aura, and the feeling of magic around her. She looked back at Shippou, boring her gaze into the blue-green eyes of the man she had called Uncle as a child. "It can't be, Kagome, can it?"
The kitsune smiled and nodded, feeling the tears threatening again, this time in joy as he held his loved one's body close to him. Then he remembered why he had came, and looked at the siblings hopefully. "I've got a problem, though. Apparently time didn't pass equally for the two of us, since she's only seemed to age a couple of years or so. I need you to ask her what happened, and I'll stay to see what she says. She doesn't know about you, though, nor does she expect me to be fully-grown. So, in order to make her feel more comfortable, and to help her adjust, we're going to make her think nothing's changed. That you, Hanoku, are Miroku, the perverted monk," "That won't be too hard for him." "Hey!" "You, Hikana, have to be Sango. And me, well, I'll be me. But when I cast this illusion, I'll look like I did when I last saw her. I just hope she doesn't try to hug me. Illusions are only good on the eyes and ears."
About this time, Kagome began to move around again, sighing softly. Shippou knew he had literally moments to place a veil over them, changing their looks. He quickly laid Kagome on the ground, not wanting to let go, but knowing he had to, for her sake. He sighed and took a step back before concentrating on what changes needed to be made. He was very glad that all the descendants tended to look like the friends who had raised him. Hanoku's eyes lightened to his ancestor's lighter blue color, and his hair appeared shorter and more un-kept. He appeared to be wearing the robes of a monk, black and purple, and he smirked at his sister who was now the spitting image of Sango. Kirara, of course, needed no changes, but Shippou knew he had to look young again. Like the child that had stolen Inuyasha's and Kagome's jewel shards before they fought the Thunder Brothers.
He sighed in relief as he sat near Kagome, close enough to let her know he was there, but far away to keep her from reaching out to him. Please don't let my reluctance to go to her upset her, he thought. As a cub, he had always leapt into Kagome's arms the first possible chance. Now, she could easily leap into his. He smiled at this, only to be brought back to earth by a soft voice, whispering, "Sango?"
The Sango look-alike crept slightly closer to Kagome, looking at her and smiling as only a mother can. Hikana looked down at the woman who was a legend, and felt pride and respect swell inside her breast. This was the priestess born with the Shikon No Tama inside her body. The one with amazing miko abilities. She snapped out of her daze when she realized that she was receiving a worried look from the younger woman. "Hello, Kagome. It's okay, I'm here, don't worry. Shippou, and even the..." Hikana tried to remember what Shippou always called Miroku. "Hentai houshi is here." At Kagome's smile and weak laugh, she knew she had been right.
Almost as if on cue, Hanoku stepped forward and kneeled next to the woman Shippou loved so dearly. "Lady Kagome," he was glad he could actually remember what he was supposed to call her, "how did you come to be here? We thought we'd never see you again."
Kagome sighed. "I...don't know, Miroku. I was sitting in my room at home, studying, heh, as usual, and I thought I heard a man cry out for me." Hanoku, when he saw the priestess wasn't looking, spared a glance at his surrogate uncle, whom he could see blush behind his illusion. "But when I went outside to look for him, no one was there. Next thing I know, I'm standing in front of the old well, looking down into it and remembering all of you, and wishing so badly I could come back. I missed you all so much, and I just wanted to be able to see you all again. I began to cry, and I saw one of my own tears go into the well, and then... the well began to glow. I leapt in, and was sent back. I realized I was in a shadow, which meant someone was looking in, and I glanced up to see this guy looking down at me. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here."
Hikana nodded and began to brush her fingers against Kagome's forehead in order to soothe her back to sleep. "Kagome," she whispered, "You did not return to the time you knew." At Kagome's curious glance, Sango's face began to slowly fade away as Shippou relaxed the illusion, letting Hikana tell her. "You see, Kagome, I don't know how many years passed for you, but, here, well..." Now the illusion was completely gone, and Kagome found herself looking at a different woman, but also the same woman. She looked to where Miroku had been sitting, only to find herself staring into the eyes of a man about the monk's age, with dark blue eyes.
"Lady Kagome, what my dear sister is trying to say is..." Hanoku took a deep breath. "Since you have left this world, 72 years have passed. We are the great-grandchildren of Miroku and Sango."
~~*~~
72 years? But, that's not possible! Kagome tried to get used to the concept. But how could so many years pass for them, and so few pass for me?! She felt the woman's fingers still moving softly against her forehead, and succumbed to the feeling, drifting off to a dreamless sleep yet again.
~~*~~
Shippou sighed. She had been upset, he could tell. Her eyes were confused and scared, but also sad. She believed she had lost her friends. He looked over to the adults he had bounced on his knees as babies, and nodded his thanks. "I suppose I should be getting home. Do you think she would come with me, or would she want to stay here with you?" Hanoku was more than willing to let her stay with him, but he was the descendant of Miroku, and all the men in the family tended to be alike. The fox-demon looked at Hikana who told him she couldn't, since she and her family had to go to a nearby village early in the morning to rid them of a snake youkai who tended to like the younger girls.
In the end, the kitsune was carrying Kagome back to his home, only a few meters away from the dry well, hoping she would be calm enough when she woke up to hear him out. He looked down at her calm face, and felt the smile tugging at his lips again. He couldn't help himself, and hugged her slightly closer to him, slightly surprised when she snuggled against him. Happier than he had been in over half a century, Shippou thought over Kagome's words.
'I heard a man cry out for me...' How could she have heard me, he wondered. Was it even me she heard? Perhaps someone else was there, and she just didn't see them. He wasn't complaining, though. Not when she was here with him. 'Next thing I know, I'm standing in front of the old well, looking down into it and remembering all of you, and wishing so badly I could come back. I missed you all so much, and I just wanted to be able to see you all again. I began to cry, and I saw one of my own tears go into the well, and then... the well began to glow.'
This is what he thought about the most. Her tears had fallen into the well. His own tears had also gone down that well. He considered the time when she had been sealed away by Inuyasha, who had attempted to protect her by sending her back and stealing her jewel shard. He had rescued the shard from being taken by another demon, and had ran to the well, only to jump in and hit his head on a branch of the tree the Hanyou had shoved in. When he had woken up, the shard had somehow been able to bring Kagome back.
He positioned Kagome so he could open the door without hurting her, and rested her on his bed, which wasn't much more than a mat and some blankets. She was reluctant to leave his embrace, curling up against him. He smiled at her. Just as childish as ever. Then it hit him. Their tears. Was it their tears that had connected them? She still had the jewel inside her body, and her longing to come back, combined with his longing to see her from the other side of the well, must have somehow caused the jewel to relinquish it's hold on the wooden structure.
Whatever it is, he thought to himself as he pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, I'm simply happy to have my Kagome back. He smiled and sat next to the sleeping woman, waiting to greet her when she awoke.
~~~~~~
Hey there! MAN! It's 12:40 here! A.M.! Feel loved, people!! Hope you appreciate this! Well, tell me what you think!! Please review!! Sounding good so far??