Grandpa carried Kagome carefully into the house, somehow managing to lift her as if she weighed nothing. "Kagome… how did you manage to get yourself into this condition?" He asked.
Kagome looked up at him through slit eyes, and managed to grin slightly. "I ran into a dragon."
Grandpa looked at her in shock, but Souta took it the wrong way. "WOW!" said her kid brother. "A dragon? Really? Was it big, did it breath fire? What was his name? Did you kill it? Did it have a jewel shard?"
Kagome, used to her brothers constant questioning, answered all these in stride. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. She, and Atma. No." However she reacted to the last question as if stung. A tear formed in one of her eyes, and ran a long way down her face.
"Sis?" Souta asked innocently. "Are you okay?"
Kagome gave no response for a short while, then declared firmly: "I need a shower."
Both Grandpa and Souta looked at Kagome worriedly.
As they carried her inside, Mrs. Higurashi rose to great them, but could only look on in horror as she saw then carrying Kagome. "Is she all right?" She asked.
Grandpa looked at Kagome's mother gravely and shook his head. "She says she needs a shower." He said. "but I shall start the traditional mend-the-bones-that-were-broken-by-the-dragon chant as soon as we get her into bed."
Kagome smiled fondly at the old man. "Kaede already tried that one." She said, attempting to lighten the mood. "I just need a good shower and a hot bowl of real food."
Kagome's mother, however, could easily see the heartbreak behind the voice. Calmly, she sat down and sipped at a cup of tea. "Well, in that case you should take a shower." She said reasonably. Rising again, she walked over to the kitchen. "Can you walk?" She asked.
Kagome nodded. "Kaede gave me a charm to help me get better." She said, holding up the simple necklace that hung around her neck. "The more I'm on my feet, the faster my bones will mend."
Grandpa took one look at the necklace, gasped, and half dropped Kagome in joy. "An authentic miko necklace!" he cried. Souta, acting quickly, grabbed and supported the half of Kagome that his grandfather had dropped.
Mrs. Higurashi returned out of the kitchen with a makeshift walking stick made out of a broom. "Use this." She said, carefully handing the broom stick to Kagome. "I'll help you up the stairs." Quickly, she turned to Souta and Grandpa. "Hurry up and make a meal. Kagome will be hungry after her bath."
Souta and Grandpa both nodded, and dashed into the kitchen. Kagome nodded greatfully to her mom. "Thanks." She said.
Kagome's mother gently put her arm around her daughter, and slowly headed for the stairs.
~~
An hour later, a well bathed, fed, and clothed Kagome sat silently on her bed, attempting to go to sleep… but it wouldn't come.
Images of InuYasha and the others kept floating by in her mind. Shippo, when he had tried to steal InuYasha's jewel shards when the first met. Sango, opening her arms, and surrendering himself totally to her brother, Kohaku, willing to die rather than fight with him. Miroku's kind, yet slightly lecherous friendship, and… and… InuYasha.
There was a creak, and a sliver of light pierced into her room, searing her eyelids. She moaned softly, and a soft voice pierced her thoughts.
"Kagome?" He mothers voice drifted to her- warm, comforting, and soothing. "Can I come in?"
"Yes." Kagome said meekly, feeling a little shy for some odd reason.
There was the sound of footsteps on her floor, and then a slight pressure beside her on the bed. There was silence for a moment, then, Kagome felt a little pressure on her back. Slowly, her mother tenderly stroked up and down, soothing away all the tension. Her mother had often come in and comforted her this way when she was little. For just a brief second, she felt it all slip away in the comfort of knowing that no matter what happened, no matter what she did, where she went, that this woman- her mother- would always love her with all her heart.
But then it all came rushing back. The image of the great claw of the dragon slashing down at her. The almost calmness as she waited for InuYasha to dash in the way, and snatch her out of harms way as usual… and the hurt and betrayal as the needle sharp claws dug into her body.
Dimly, she was aware that she was in her mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, telling her everything. How InuYasha had tried o hard to help her, all the time, and she had just brushed it aside. How she had been so selfish and pig headed not to see how InuYasha had always been protecting her, from their very first battle with Yura, when he had given her his fire rat cloak, and gotten wounded severely because of it, to when he threw Atma over his shoulder as if she had weighed nothing in an attempt to keep the wyrm away from Kagome. And yet she couldn't even see what he was trying to say when he had said those cruel thinks to her.
She had left Shippo, as well. She was the only one he had too look up to and call "Mom." She had acted like a selfish brat, and left him behind. Sango and Miroku too!
And now they were gone! GONE! She would never see him again! Ever. Not once. InuYasha definitely wouldn't come back for her after she had said those things. No… she had blown her only chance, and now would pay for it for the rest of her life…
Eventually, the sobbing stopped, and the tears dried. Kagome fell asleep in her mother's comforting arms.
~~
InuYasha awoke very late the next morning. He didn't however move. There was no incentive to move. He had ruined the only real true friendships he ever had.
Kagome hated him, and was definitely in her own time by now. Shippo probably hated him too, because of what he said. Sango and Miroku couldn't be too fond of him at this point… and besides, even if he did go to Kagome's time, why would she want to talk to him?
She probably would be better off without knowing him anyway. At least then she would be safe. He couldn't even protect her when it counted. It was all his fault that Kagome had gotten hurt in the first place. It was his own weakness that had made it so that this all happened. Had he been faster and stronger, then he could have saved her. He could have taken Atma out like that.
Atma! She was to blame as well! She would die, even if it took InuYasha all his life. She would suffer far more than Kagome had! So much more!
InuYasha, now with a new purpose rose to his feet. There must be someone who knew where the lizard lived. He would definitely have to leave the others. They would probably be happy that he was gone anyway. After what he did, they had every right to be.
He rose to his feet, and leapt out of the tree… only to run right into Kaede. The old lady looked at him calmly. 'And what will you do now?" She asked.
InuYasha looked at the miko helplessly. Without a word, he slunk past her, felling lower than dirt, and half trudged, half crawled into the dark forest.
**
Well… I think that that was one of my better chapters… one of my much better chapters. Umm… the real plot will be thickening within two chapters, definitely, so bear with me. Thanks.
