Last Time:
I placed my hands on the rim of the well and wiped off the dust and grime that had gathered there throughout the years.
'I just. . . I wish I could see them again. My life won't ever be complete without them in it. They will always hold a part of me, and I need them in my life. I wish I could go back.'
At first the light was so subtle, I mistook it for a trick that my tears had played on me. But then it got so bright, there was no way I could ignore it, and I knew better than to think it was the porch light from the house.
I must have fallen asleep, and this was just another dream.
But then I felt the force tug at my soul and pull at my body.
"What's happening?!"
I fell down and I fell forever. And when I opened my eyes, through the cloud of tears I could see the beautiful pinks and oranges of a setting sun.
*
*
*
I was almost afraid to blink and the image would melt away with my tears. But I did, by necessity of course, and the image was still there.
I quickly grabbed onto the familiar vines and began to pull myself up, which was a very difficult task in a knee length skirt and sandals.
I finally made it to the rim and pulled up at my skirt scandalously high to get my leg over. I walked over to the plants and sniffed at the flowers. I wiped at my forehead, and there was sweat and grime. This definitely wasn't a dream, it felt too real to be a dream.
I stood there for a few moments. I'm not sure what I was expecting; my night and shining armor to come? It's been nine years; they might have even forgotten me by now and moved on.
I couldn't just stand there like an idiot, expecting things to be the way they were before, so I decided to make my way out of the forest. It wasn't completely as I remembered it; everything had grown over, but I made my way in the direction I thought the village was in.
It didn't take me long to find something. And that something was in the form of a child.
"Omph!"
We both fell back from the force of running into each other.
The kid immediately jumped back up and took upon a defensive stance.
"What are you doing rooming these woods, demon?!"
Wha-. . . demon! Geesh, this was the second time! I looked at the tiny kid and only then did I notice the large blade in his hands.
"Uh, listen kid, I don't know what you're planning on doing with that thing, but I can assure you, I am no demon and I have no intention of fighting."
He studied me and took in my strange clothing skeptically.
He lowered his weapon a fraction.
"Well," he said, "I can see you are defiantly no warrior, but that doesn't explain what you were doing in Inuyasha's Forest at this time of day. You look mighty suspicious."
I was still reeling in his comment on my appearance. What did he mean I didn't look like a warrior? Well, of course I didn't, but by the way he was looking at me, I don't think he thought I could handle any fight!
"Well excuse me, I was just looking for the nearest village. I certainly didn't expect getting ambushed by a little kid!"
"I'm not a little kid!" he said defensively. "My daddy says I'm a handsome man who will someday have ladies lining up and begging me to let them bear my children!"
'. . . have their. . . children?!'
Now that sounded eerily familiar.
WAY too familiar.
He stubbornly shifted his head away but kept a wary eye on me. It didn't look like he was willing to give me any of the answers I needed . And one thing about kids is you never want to talk down to them.
"Uh, you're right. You clearly are not a child. What's your name by the way?"
He lifted up his chin and let his armed hand drop down to his waste.
"My name is Masaru." He said with a proud smile.
"Hi Masaru, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Kagome-"
"-You're Kagome?!" he interrupted. "I mean. . . the Kagome that came from the well. . . and the Shikon no Tama. . . OH WOW! I have to go tell mom!" and with excitement in his eyes, he sprinted off.
"Well wait! I. . . I don't know my way out of here!" I coughed from the dirt he kicked up in the air after leaving so fast and I tried to follow him. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far before I was completely turned around.
That boy could run fast. It must be something in the water.
But where does this leave me?
I sighed and picked the most logical path that I thought would lead me to the village. Well, it was more like I closed my eyes, spun around, and stopped and proceeded in a random direction. No, there wasn't much logic in that, but considering my circumstances, I didn't have much more of an option.
I walked for a couple of minutes and was reminded of my weariness. After the adrenaline rush was over, I was more than drained from the days events. It was getting dark though, and I couldn't spend the night out here; it wasn't safe. Especially in the clothes I was wearing, I was more than likely to have holes in the soles of my shoes pretty soon.
I'm not sure how to explain it, but I started to notice things I thought I had forgotten from my time spent here. It changed me a lot. After being forced to adapt to the way of life in this time, I always found myself missing the cold nights sleeping on the ground, and the comforting light of the fire, casting a protective glow around our camp. At home, I also started to notice and appreciate the smells of fresh cut grass. And then there were the days where I would look up and appreciate how blue the sky really was.
And just like that, after being thrown back here, all my senses seemed to sharpen. My eyes were quickly adapting to the changing light, and my ears were attuned to the sounds coming from the birds in the trees, and the snap of a branch behind my back. . .
I stopped in my tracks.
Wait, that wasn't suppose to be there. I closed my eyes and consentrated on my surroundings. Something evil was following me.
"Wh-who's there?"
Great going Kagome! Just tell them you know they're there! You could have at least let them continue thinking they had the element of surprise! If I my leg bent that way, I would have reached up and kicked my own ass.
I stopped in my tracks and slowed my breathing. Like a reflex, I patted my back, expecting to feel a comforting solid arrow. But in a panic, I realized I didn't have any arrows, and there was no weight from my trusty bow in my hand. I was defenseless, and I was going to get myself killed.
I could feel the evil presence come closer, and it didn't seem worried at all that I knew it was there.
"The power. . ." it hissed. Crap, which direction is that coming from?
I turned around in circles as my eyes hastily looked in every direction. God, it was so close. . .
"I can smell it on you, human. Your blood calls to me. . ."
Suddenly it was in front of me. It wasn't the horribly ugly and slimy demon my mind had been conjuring up, but the look in its eyes. . . it was just evil.
The dark creature licked its lips and slowly approached me. "So much energy in such a weak little thing. I could break you so easily."
Now normally, I'm not the type to stand there and scream like an idiot, but this wasn't under any normal circumstances, and I needed some kind of outlet for my fear.
"Inuyasha!"
The demon in front of me cackled and advanced.
Right now would be about the time my flying hero in red would come save the day, but damn it! He wasn't here! Ok, next best thing.
I pivoted in the opposite direction and ran.
I pushed all of my dreariness aside and ran as fast and as hard as I could. I kicked off my troublesome shoes and hiked up my skirt that was already stained beyond repair. I couldn't keep this up for long.
This wasn't what I was expecting, maybe a tearful reunion with joyful cries and happy laughter. . . just not this. But then, when has this time period ever been predictable? I forgot one important rule: always expect the unexpected because usually, that's what you're gonna get.
I tripped and winced when my palms and knees scraped the rocky earth. Of all the moments to trip over my feet, it had to be the one where I was at the brink of death.
I stood up as fast as I could and wiped my hands on my skirt and was ready to bolt, only to come across the demon in my path. It began to glow an unhealthy color. The smirk on its hard face was all I needed to see to understand what it had planned in its twisted mind.
"Hiraikotsu!"
A flying object zoomed in my direction and hit the demon from behind. The grin that was on its face was replaced with a look of utter horror and pain. It swiftly turned around to face the new arriver and snarled, still managing to look threatening even with blood dripping from its body.
I was surprised it survived the attack, and apparently, so was the person who attacked it. In a rage, the demon jumped at the woman who had disturbed its meal. She dodged, but couldn't get away far enough to use her long distance weapon.
It took me a while before I could catch my breath and realize that I was still in one piece. But then the woman cried out and my moment of shock passed.
She needed help, and I was just standing there like a damsel in distress! I searched the ground for anything I could use as a weapon. I just needed. . . to distract it somehow. . .
The demon let out a shrill scream when its vulnerable wound was attacked by a fury of rocks. There has to be something more effective. . . there! I grabbed a pointed branch from the ground and held my weight against it.
"You stupid demon! When do you learn to give up?" I shouted, drawing its attention away from my rescuer.
My answer was a growl and an evil glare. I threw another rock and it charged.
I dug my heel in the ground and braced my back against a tree. The woman in front of me shouted and I pointed the branch in front of me with its base against the tree. The demon charged on and ran straight into my trap. I felt the momentum push against me and the branch and I felt the skin from the demon give. My arms began to shake from the strain of the demon on top of me and I pushed it off with all the strength I could muster.
Breathing heavily, I searched the area for the woman who helped me, but she was not in sight.
"You killed the demon with its own strength." A voice said to my right.
I turned around and saw a beautiful woman staring at me in awe. She had long dark hair and deep eyes that looked incredibly familiar. She saw the confused look on my face and smiled. When I saw her eyes twinkle at me, I remembered where I had seen her face before.
"Sango?!"
She nodded and laughed. I hoped she didn't care about demon blood all over her, but I hugged her anyway and laughed against her shoulder.
"Oh Sango, I've missed you so much!"
"I'm still having a hard time convincing my brain that your actually here." She replied.
"Are you alright?" I asked while searching for any serious injuries.
"Of course I'm alright! I came running as fast as I could when Masaru told me he met a girl in the forest who called herself Kagome. And then I sensed the demon here and I was so afraid it had gotten to you."
"Well I'm alright. It would take more than that thing to bring me down. But you really saved my neck back there. Just like old times huh?
"In it's own strange way, facing off demons together again does tend to pull at your heart strings a little."
"Hey, speaking of Masaru, where did he go? And who was he?"
Sango blinked at me in confusion and started laughing.
"Wow, he really did run off before explaining things to you didn't he? You must be completely lost. Masaru is my son."
"Your. . . son?!"
"Wha. . .when-WHO?!"
"Umm, well. After you left, a lot of things changed and people changed and I sorta. . ." she blushed. ". . .Miroku."
Wow. I wasn't completely surprised about her relationship with Miroku, but even after all this time, she was blushing like a schoolgirl. She could face off demons fearlessly, and get married to a lecherous monk, but she was still the same person I had come to love and respect. The thought was comforting and I was happy to hear she was living the life she fought so hard for and deserved.
I smiled. "Well it's about damn time."
Her blush deepened.
"For your sake, I hope he isn't to much like his father."
"Haha! Your acting just like Inuyasha did when he found out I was pregnant. He is very protective of Masaru and is a big role model for him. He said that one lecher in the family is bad enough. Though I think Masaru picked up on some of Inuyasha's arrogance."
I became silent, half relieved and half nervous. Obviously he wasn't dead or Sango would have referred to him in past tense. I should stop torturing myself with my own evasiveness and just ask the question.
"I. . . where is Inuyasha? He is alive and he's ok?"
She became silent for a moment and a sympathetic look covered her face as she opened her mouth to reply. I think she was about to speak but at that moment, a strong gust of wind came and covered up anything she might have said.
Before I could ask her to repeat, I felt a very powerful presence heading in our direction quickly. It wasn't evil, but it was traveling so fast that I could tell it had some kind of purpose for approaching us. I was trying to shield my eyes against the dirt that flew in my eyes, but I could definitely make out a bright blur that hadn't been there before. A bright red blur.
And suddenly, something had a tight vise grip on my arms and was holding me against a tree. I tried to open my eyes, but they were still watery from the dirt and I couldn't make out what was holding me so effectively.
The presence was breathing heavily by my ear and they had their nose in my hair and my neck and my chest. I was uncomfortable but for some reason not alarmed. The dust cleared and I coughed and blinked the water away from my eyes.
The sniffing stopped and I felt brave enough to face whatever was holding me. My eyes opened and I found myself staring into a familiar storm of brilliant gold.
My breath caught for a moment and I swallowed.
"Umm. . . hi Inuyasha."
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I'm finally done with that chapter! Sorry it took a while. Band has been hell because we had our first game this week and they were working us every morning before school and every afternoon including pep rallies. Anyway, thank you for your patience. And please, if you have any ideas or comments for the plot development of this story, tell me. I could definitely use the help.
I placed my hands on the rim of the well and wiped off the dust and grime that had gathered there throughout the years.
'I just. . . I wish I could see them again. My life won't ever be complete without them in it. They will always hold a part of me, and I need them in my life. I wish I could go back.'
At first the light was so subtle, I mistook it for a trick that my tears had played on me. But then it got so bright, there was no way I could ignore it, and I knew better than to think it was the porch light from the house.
I must have fallen asleep, and this was just another dream.
But then I felt the force tug at my soul and pull at my body.
"What's happening?!"
I fell down and I fell forever. And when I opened my eyes, through the cloud of tears I could see the beautiful pinks and oranges of a setting sun.
*
*
*
I was almost afraid to blink and the image would melt away with my tears. But I did, by necessity of course, and the image was still there.
I quickly grabbed onto the familiar vines and began to pull myself up, which was a very difficult task in a knee length skirt and sandals.
I finally made it to the rim and pulled up at my skirt scandalously high to get my leg over. I walked over to the plants and sniffed at the flowers. I wiped at my forehead, and there was sweat and grime. This definitely wasn't a dream, it felt too real to be a dream.
I stood there for a few moments. I'm not sure what I was expecting; my night and shining armor to come? It's been nine years; they might have even forgotten me by now and moved on.
I couldn't just stand there like an idiot, expecting things to be the way they were before, so I decided to make my way out of the forest. It wasn't completely as I remembered it; everything had grown over, but I made my way in the direction I thought the village was in.
It didn't take me long to find something. And that something was in the form of a child.
"Omph!"
We both fell back from the force of running into each other.
The kid immediately jumped back up and took upon a defensive stance.
"What are you doing rooming these woods, demon?!"
Wha-. . . demon! Geesh, this was the second time! I looked at the tiny kid and only then did I notice the large blade in his hands.
"Uh, listen kid, I don't know what you're planning on doing with that thing, but I can assure you, I am no demon and I have no intention of fighting."
He studied me and took in my strange clothing skeptically.
He lowered his weapon a fraction.
"Well," he said, "I can see you are defiantly no warrior, but that doesn't explain what you were doing in Inuyasha's Forest at this time of day. You look mighty suspicious."
I was still reeling in his comment on my appearance. What did he mean I didn't look like a warrior? Well, of course I didn't, but by the way he was looking at me, I don't think he thought I could handle any fight!
"Well excuse me, I was just looking for the nearest village. I certainly didn't expect getting ambushed by a little kid!"
"I'm not a little kid!" he said defensively. "My daddy says I'm a handsome man who will someday have ladies lining up and begging me to let them bear my children!"
'. . . have their. . . children?!'
Now that sounded eerily familiar.
WAY too familiar.
He stubbornly shifted his head away but kept a wary eye on me. It didn't look like he was willing to give me any of the answers I needed . And one thing about kids is you never want to talk down to them.
"Uh, you're right. You clearly are not a child. What's your name by the way?"
He lifted up his chin and let his armed hand drop down to his waste.
"My name is Masaru." He said with a proud smile.
"Hi Masaru, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Kagome-"
"-You're Kagome?!" he interrupted. "I mean. . . the Kagome that came from the well. . . and the Shikon no Tama. . . OH WOW! I have to go tell mom!" and with excitement in his eyes, he sprinted off.
"Well wait! I. . . I don't know my way out of here!" I coughed from the dirt he kicked up in the air after leaving so fast and I tried to follow him. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far before I was completely turned around.
That boy could run fast. It must be something in the water.
But where does this leave me?
I sighed and picked the most logical path that I thought would lead me to the village. Well, it was more like I closed my eyes, spun around, and stopped and proceeded in a random direction. No, there wasn't much logic in that, but considering my circumstances, I didn't have much more of an option.
I walked for a couple of minutes and was reminded of my weariness. After the adrenaline rush was over, I was more than drained from the days events. It was getting dark though, and I couldn't spend the night out here; it wasn't safe. Especially in the clothes I was wearing, I was more than likely to have holes in the soles of my shoes pretty soon.
I'm not sure how to explain it, but I started to notice things I thought I had forgotten from my time spent here. It changed me a lot. After being forced to adapt to the way of life in this time, I always found myself missing the cold nights sleeping on the ground, and the comforting light of the fire, casting a protective glow around our camp. At home, I also started to notice and appreciate the smells of fresh cut grass. And then there were the days where I would look up and appreciate how blue the sky really was.
And just like that, after being thrown back here, all my senses seemed to sharpen. My eyes were quickly adapting to the changing light, and my ears were attuned to the sounds coming from the birds in the trees, and the snap of a branch behind my back. . .
I stopped in my tracks.
Wait, that wasn't suppose to be there. I closed my eyes and consentrated on my surroundings. Something evil was following me.
"Wh-who's there?"
Great going Kagome! Just tell them you know they're there! You could have at least let them continue thinking they had the element of surprise! If I my leg bent that way, I would have reached up and kicked my own ass.
I stopped in my tracks and slowed my breathing. Like a reflex, I patted my back, expecting to feel a comforting solid arrow. But in a panic, I realized I didn't have any arrows, and there was no weight from my trusty bow in my hand. I was defenseless, and I was going to get myself killed.
I could feel the evil presence come closer, and it didn't seem worried at all that I knew it was there.
"The power. . ." it hissed. Crap, which direction is that coming from?
I turned around in circles as my eyes hastily looked in every direction. God, it was so close. . .
"I can smell it on you, human. Your blood calls to me. . ."
Suddenly it was in front of me. It wasn't the horribly ugly and slimy demon my mind had been conjuring up, but the look in its eyes. . . it was just evil.
The dark creature licked its lips and slowly approached me. "So much energy in such a weak little thing. I could break you so easily."
Now normally, I'm not the type to stand there and scream like an idiot, but this wasn't under any normal circumstances, and I needed some kind of outlet for my fear.
"Inuyasha!"
The demon in front of me cackled and advanced.
Right now would be about the time my flying hero in red would come save the day, but damn it! He wasn't here! Ok, next best thing.
I pivoted in the opposite direction and ran.
I pushed all of my dreariness aside and ran as fast and as hard as I could. I kicked off my troublesome shoes and hiked up my skirt that was already stained beyond repair. I couldn't keep this up for long.
This wasn't what I was expecting, maybe a tearful reunion with joyful cries and happy laughter. . . just not this. But then, when has this time period ever been predictable? I forgot one important rule: always expect the unexpected because usually, that's what you're gonna get.
I tripped and winced when my palms and knees scraped the rocky earth. Of all the moments to trip over my feet, it had to be the one where I was at the brink of death.
I stood up as fast as I could and wiped my hands on my skirt and was ready to bolt, only to come across the demon in my path. It began to glow an unhealthy color. The smirk on its hard face was all I needed to see to understand what it had planned in its twisted mind.
"Hiraikotsu!"
A flying object zoomed in my direction and hit the demon from behind. The grin that was on its face was replaced with a look of utter horror and pain. It swiftly turned around to face the new arriver and snarled, still managing to look threatening even with blood dripping from its body.
I was surprised it survived the attack, and apparently, so was the person who attacked it. In a rage, the demon jumped at the woman who had disturbed its meal. She dodged, but couldn't get away far enough to use her long distance weapon.
It took me a while before I could catch my breath and realize that I was still in one piece. But then the woman cried out and my moment of shock passed.
She needed help, and I was just standing there like a damsel in distress! I searched the ground for anything I could use as a weapon. I just needed. . . to distract it somehow. . .
The demon let out a shrill scream when its vulnerable wound was attacked by a fury of rocks. There has to be something more effective. . . there! I grabbed a pointed branch from the ground and held my weight against it.
"You stupid demon! When do you learn to give up?" I shouted, drawing its attention away from my rescuer.
My answer was a growl and an evil glare. I threw another rock and it charged.
I dug my heel in the ground and braced my back against a tree. The woman in front of me shouted and I pointed the branch in front of me with its base against the tree. The demon charged on and ran straight into my trap. I felt the momentum push against me and the branch and I felt the skin from the demon give. My arms began to shake from the strain of the demon on top of me and I pushed it off with all the strength I could muster.
Breathing heavily, I searched the area for the woman who helped me, but she was not in sight.
"You killed the demon with its own strength." A voice said to my right.
I turned around and saw a beautiful woman staring at me in awe. She had long dark hair and deep eyes that looked incredibly familiar. She saw the confused look on my face and smiled. When I saw her eyes twinkle at me, I remembered where I had seen her face before.
"Sango?!"
She nodded and laughed. I hoped she didn't care about demon blood all over her, but I hugged her anyway and laughed against her shoulder.
"Oh Sango, I've missed you so much!"
"I'm still having a hard time convincing my brain that your actually here." She replied.
"Are you alright?" I asked while searching for any serious injuries.
"Of course I'm alright! I came running as fast as I could when Masaru told me he met a girl in the forest who called herself Kagome. And then I sensed the demon here and I was so afraid it had gotten to you."
"Well I'm alright. It would take more than that thing to bring me down. But you really saved my neck back there. Just like old times huh?
"In it's own strange way, facing off demons together again does tend to pull at your heart strings a little."
"Hey, speaking of Masaru, where did he go? And who was he?"
Sango blinked at me in confusion and started laughing.
"Wow, he really did run off before explaining things to you didn't he? You must be completely lost. Masaru is my son."
"Your. . . son?!"
"Wha. . .when-WHO?!"
"Umm, well. After you left, a lot of things changed and people changed and I sorta. . ." she blushed. ". . .Miroku."
Wow. I wasn't completely surprised about her relationship with Miroku, but even after all this time, she was blushing like a schoolgirl. She could face off demons fearlessly, and get married to a lecherous monk, but she was still the same person I had come to love and respect. The thought was comforting and I was happy to hear she was living the life she fought so hard for and deserved.
I smiled. "Well it's about damn time."
Her blush deepened.
"For your sake, I hope he isn't to much like his father."
"Haha! Your acting just like Inuyasha did when he found out I was pregnant. He is very protective of Masaru and is a big role model for him. He said that one lecher in the family is bad enough. Though I think Masaru picked up on some of Inuyasha's arrogance."
I became silent, half relieved and half nervous. Obviously he wasn't dead or Sango would have referred to him in past tense. I should stop torturing myself with my own evasiveness and just ask the question.
"I. . . where is Inuyasha? He is alive and he's ok?"
She became silent for a moment and a sympathetic look covered her face as she opened her mouth to reply. I think she was about to speak but at that moment, a strong gust of wind came and covered up anything she might have said.
Before I could ask her to repeat, I felt a very powerful presence heading in our direction quickly. It wasn't evil, but it was traveling so fast that I could tell it had some kind of purpose for approaching us. I was trying to shield my eyes against the dirt that flew in my eyes, but I could definitely make out a bright blur that hadn't been there before. A bright red blur.
And suddenly, something had a tight vise grip on my arms and was holding me against a tree. I tried to open my eyes, but they were still watery from the dirt and I couldn't make out what was holding me so effectively.
The presence was breathing heavily by my ear and they had their nose in my hair and my neck and my chest. I was uncomfortable but for some reason not alarmed. The dust cleared and I coughed and blinked the water away from my eyes.
The sniffing stopped and I felt brave enough to face whatever was holding me. My eyes opened and I found myself staring into a familiar storm of brilliant gold.
My breath caught for a moment and I swallowed.
"Umm. . . hi Inuyasha."
*
*
*
*
I'm finally done with that chapter! Sorry it took a while. Band has been hell because we had our first game this week and they were working us every morning before school and every afternoon including pep rallies. Anyway, thank you for your patience. And please, if you have any ideas or comments for the plot development of this story, tell me. I could definitely use the help.