Kagome dragged sleepily down the stairs the next morning and headed towards
the kitchen. She coughed and sputtered as she entered it. It was stiflingly
hot...Wait, was the kitchen on fire? Kagome squinted through the heat waves
to the stove. All four burners were going full blast, and Sota was looking
positively delirious with happiness as he held a dismantled coat hanger,
adorned with marshmallows, over them. "Sota!" Kagome cried as she turned
off the burners. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"
"I'm practicing cooking over an open fire!" Sota replied brightly. "Pretty smart to think of doing it over the stove instead of outside, eh? It rained last night, you know. Everything's soppy."
Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sota. PLEASE. Just get out of your pajamas and into some regular clothes. Not your school uniform, though. You'll get it dirty." Sota frowned up at Kagome. "That's fine-I hate my school uniform. But if I can't wear mine, how come you always get to wear yours?" "Hmph! -I- know how to keep something clean. You'll be off playing in the dirt and doing...Oh I don't know, little boy things. You'll get on well with Shippo."
"Who's Shippo?"
"Little kitsune-youkai. Go get dressed." ________________________________________________________________________
Kagome, Sango, and Sota squished across the wet ground to the shrine. Sota was carrying an old backpack that he'd stuffed two mangas and a few other odds and ends into. Kagome considered the majority of it junk, Sota knew, but there was no way he was going to be persuaded to leave what he wanted behind.
"All right," said Kagome as the trio reached the well. "Everyone ready?" Sota and Sango nodded, and both of them grabbed one of Kagome's hands. Sota stared nervously into the well and clung tight to Kagome. "You're absolutely sure this is safe?"
"Yes! Here we go, now. One, two, -three-!" And the group jumped into the well.
/ Floating / thought Sota as soft, blue-purple light touched them. / I'm floating. / He recalled the sensation from when Inuyasha has been coming through and they'd dealt with the ghost of Saturo's sister. The feeling ended too soon, and Sota knew they were on the other side of the well.
Kagome ushered Sango out first, then Sota, then she crawled out.
Sota grinned excitedly. "So where are we-" he began, but was cut off. His back was jerking in the direction of the woods left of the direction of the village.
Kagome's eyes widened. "Sota? SOTA! Are you having a seizure? Sota, what's wrong?"
But Sota could not answer. His back jerked two times more, three times, four times, then he went flying backwards across the ground and into the woods. Kagome put her hands to her mouth and began running after him. Sango asked no questions, but dropped her things and followed. The two finally reached the woods, but there was no sign of Sota. He was simply... -gone-.
"It's no use just us two going in, Kagome," Sango said to the heavily breathing girl beside her. "Let's go get Inuyasha and Miroku. And we may need to talk to Lady Kaede. I think I have an idea what is wrong."
Sango began to explain, but Kagome took off running again, worry and compassion flowing freely over her face. The only thing on her mind was the possibility that Sota was about to die.
/ Inuyasha / Kagome thought urgently. / Please be there. /
________________________________________________________________________
"I'm practicing cooking over an open fire!" Sota replied brightly. "Pretty smart to think of doing it over the stove instead of outside, eh? It rained last night, you know. Everything's soppy."
Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sota. PLEASE. Just get out of your pajamas and into some regular clothes. Not your school uniform, though. You'll get it dirty." Sota frowned up at Kagome. "That's fine-I hate my school uniform. But if I can't wear mine, how come you always get to wear yours?" "Hmph! -I- know how to keep something clean. You'll be off playing in the dirt and doing...Oh I don't know, little boy things. You'll get on well with Shippo."
"Who's Shippo?"
"Little kitsune-youkai. Go get dressed." ________________________________________________________________________
Kagome, Sango, and Sota squished across the wet ground to the shrine. Sota was carrying an old backpack that he'd stuffed two mangas and a few other odds and ends into. Kagome considered the majority of it junk, Sota knew, but there was no way he was going to be persuaded to leave what he wanted behind.
"All right," said Kagome as the trio reached the well. "Everyone ready?" Sota and Sango nodded, and both of them grabbed one of Kagome's hands. Sota stared nervously into the well and clung tight to Kagome. "You're absolutely sure this is safe?"
"Yes! Here we go, now. One, two, -three-!" And the group jumped into the well.
/ Floating / thought Sota as soft, blue-purple light touched them. / I'm floating. / He recalled the sensation from when Inuyasha has been coming through and they'd dealt with the ghost of Saturo's sister. The feeling ended too soon, and Sota knew they were on the other side of the well.
Kagome ushered Sango out first, then Sota, then she crawled out.
Sota grinned excitedly. "So where are we-" he began, but was cut off. His back was jerking in the direction of the woods left of the direction of the village.
Kagome's eyes widened. "Sota? SOTA! Are you having a seizure? Sota, what's wrong?"
But Sota could not answer. His back jerked two times more, three times, four times, then he went flying backwards across the ground and into the woods. Kagome put her hands to her mouth and began running after him. Sango asked no questions, but dropped her things and followed. The two finally reached the woods, but there was no sign of Sota. He was simply... -gone-.
"It's no use just us two going in, Kagome," Sango said to the heavily breathing girl beside her. "Let's go get Inuyasha and Miroku. And we may need to talk to Lady Kaede. I think I have an idea what is wrong."
Sango began to explain, but Kagome took off running again, worry and compassion flowing freely over her face. The only thing on her mind was the possibility that Sota was about to die.
/ Inuyasha / Kagome thought urgently. / Please be there. /
________________________________________________________________________