The Shock of a Life Time can Cause Some Serious Emotions to Arise
~ Well, you now have everyone's mind running overtime trying to understand you and your
'dramatic' changes. First, you are happy and strange- which isn't all that unusual-, but then you
start to speak non-sense. Yeah right, you not doing pranks! Now that's a laugh, or so they think,
but to your irrational mind seems to think it is completely understandable. Maybe it is, or maybe it
is not. Doesn't matter really. Still, it was a total shock to you and everyone else when you said
'Dogboy' and you had nothing going on. Your voice... was calm, almost emotionless. Eek! You're
turning into 'Dogboy's brother'. Maybe it's a good thing you walked away... Anyway, 'revenge'
and your son have gone after you and you are now cornered. Did I mention that you are awfully
tired all the sudden. Hmmm. I guess that being in the wrong state of mind at the wrong time takes
its toll on a person. Yikes! ~
I walked through the hallway, toward my room, but was intercepted by my overly hyper son
and my concerned friend. Sango didn't look the least bit happy and I had this gut knowledge that
it didn't- for once- have to do with my comment about her and Miroku. Shippo on the other hand
was confused. Thoroughly confused.
"Okaasan," Shippo called, yanking on my sleeve. "Why did you leave?"
'He'll leave,' my mind spoke.
'Shippo will be hurt... I'll get hurt.'
"Kagome-chan, now I know something is wrong," Sango hissed. "Tell me what's going on!"
"It's nothing. I told you everything in there," I muttered, looking away. "There is nothing
between Inuyasha and myself... There never will be."
"Bullshit."
I gasped. "Y-y-you," I stammered. I had never heard her cuss. Well, not like that, at least.
"Don't swear in front of Shippo," I snapped. "It's a bad influence."
"Is that why you brushed Inuyasha off? In front of everyone, no less."
"Iie. I didn't 'brush Inuyasha off'. Don't you understand it yet?" I asked. "There was nothing
there. Period. End. of. story."
Sango bristled. Looking down to Shippo, she put on a soft smile. "Shippo, go play with
Rin. She is pretty rattled right now, understand?"
"Hai, San-san," he mumbled. He walked away, glancing back once. He frowned, then
scurried off.
"Kagome-chan, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut," Sango scolded. "If you do not,
you will have no one left in this world to lean on. You know that."
"Hai, I do."
"Then-"
"Why?- is that what you want to know?" I asked. "I'll tell you why, Sango-chan. It's because
I don't want to be so dependent on others. I don't want to have to lean on anyone. Keeping my
distance... will mend my already breaking heart! You would be wise to follow suit, Sango."
"And miss out on everything important in life?" Sango asked, telling me with her voice that I
was ludicrous for thinking such things. "You've gone over the deep end, Kagome. That's the true
story. If you hadn't, the Kagome I know wouldn't have hurt that 13 year old girl in there by
rejecting her brother- IN HER PRESENCE!"
I shook my head. She didn't know the whole story. She was going to get hurt too. "You
don't get it."
"You're right," she laughed. The laughs died abruptly. "I don't. I would have... if you were
Kagome- the one I knew. You're someone else entirely different from the one I beat this morning.
I know I didn't cause it either."
"No one caused it," I mumbled. "I just see things a little more clearly now. Inuyasha will
leave. Kouga will leave. Guess who goes with them Sango. Just guess. He can't stay and you
know it."
Sango looked at me for a moment. "I won't distance myself and lessen the burden on my
heart. Kagome wouldn't either. Not if it meant hurting the ones closest to her. Whoever you are,
you will not hurt him like that. I won't let you."
I stared at her for a moment, noting the red locks had slowly changed, darkened. She was
serious. I would have laughed at seeing her like that... if I was myself... Just like she said, I was
different. But, I didn't care. My mind didn't care. My heart...
My heart was breaking anyway.
"You... You'll get closer and closer, just to be pulled away when you actually get the chance
to be with him," I said sadly. "Sango- always the one to take chances.... And Aya- she'll be hurt,
too."
"If you would be around us more," Sango began, "like you used to be, you'd know that we
have already dealt with it."
"Eh?"
"We have always know," Sango stated. "So have you. We won't change just so that we don't
get hurt... There is always a light at the end of a tunnel. A ray of hope."
"That can be taken from you by a mere cloud blocking the end," I breathed. "That black rain
cloud always shows itself."
"But it doesn't always rain," Sango added. "You are a pessimist. Kagome was an optimist."
I laughed. "So 'Kagome' died and was replaced by 'you', eh?"
"It seems that way."
Sango shook her head, leaning on the wall and closing her eyes. I watched a couple walk
down the hall, the woman giggling and the guy blushing and looking away. She punched his arm
before it slipped around her waist and she leaned on him. They reached the end of the hall... and
turned the corner.
'It is a long, twisted road that fate has set our feet upon. Though it may seem like a straight
path at its' beginning, it has many twists and turns that must be taken. And many crossroad are
passed.'
"Miroku..."
"Hmm?" Sango asked, looking to me.
"Ah, nothing! I... I'm not doing this for me," I told her. "I'm doing it for Shippo- for my
son."
"Is that what he wants?" she implored. "I doubt it Kagome. He wouldn't want you to lose
Inuyasha just because of him."
"So I won't lose Inuyasha," I said. "I will never have had him, see? Listen, Sango-chan, I
have a story to tell. Can we talk somewhere else?"
"Sure," she shrugged, walking to her room. Flipping on the light, she found a chair and
plopped down. "So, what's the story?"
I looked around briefly. "Sugoi, you do a quick cleaning job."
"Yeah, and we helped Miroku and Kouga, also."
"Hmm... Well," I sighed, sitting in the vacant seat. "Today, after I took a shower to clean off
the food you threw at me-"
"Which you completely deserved," Sango added.
"-Inuyasha decided it would be fun to mess with me again and somehow I ended up in bed
with him- and not that way," I added hastily at her questioning expression. "We snuggled, that's
all. After a few minutes... Shippo walked in and- oh, the things he said; it broke my heart,
shattered it, Sango-chan!"
"Nani?"
I shook my head and looked at my feet. "His okaasan left him for a boyfriend, leaving him at
the hospital. He feels like I'll do the same thing."
"But you won't leave him for Inuyasha," Sango stated. "I know you better than that."
"That's not all of it," I muttered. "I listened to him and Inuyasha when they talked- they
thought I left. Shippo said that he didn't want me getting hurt... It would hurt him worse to see
me hurt than to be hurt. If I chose between him and Inuyasha, it would be a no-win situation for
Shippo. If I chose Inuyasha, I'd leave him. If I chose Shippo, I'd blame him for my losing
Inuyasha. It's Shippo that will be hurt in the end."
Sango remained silent for a while, playing with her hair. "Kagome-chan," she spoke
suddenly, "do you know what happened to my eye shadow?"
"N-NANI!? Were you even listening?" I screeched in rage.
"Hai... You took my eye shadow. You took Miroku and Kouga's boxers. You took
Aya-chan's shoes, and mine," she listed. "None of those mean a thing. One thing does, and you
need to see it. Everyone else does. You took our stuff... You stole his heart."
"Sa-"
"Iie, I don't want to hear it Kagome-chan," Sango interrupted. "No matter what you say, it
will stay that way. Our stuff is something we can get back. Look into his eyes and you'll see he
lost his heart."
I furrowed my brows, thinking. She was turning into a Miroku with all these word riddles,
though I hadn't heard him speak like that in a while. I understood, but then I didn't.
"He can't get his heart back," she explained. "He lost it to you."
"Like Kikyo, I suppose?" I don't know where that came from. I hadn't thought about her in a
long time.
"Iie... He didn't love her."
"And he doesn't love me, so it's the same thing," I hollered in frustration. "He hasn't lost his
heart."
"You haven't looked in his eyes."
"And you have!?" I screamed, curling my fists as my eyes burned holes into the carpet.
::::::silence::::::
"Hai."
I looked at her serious expression for a moment, noting the concern in her eyes. Something
was bothering her. "When?"
"Before I followed you, after you pushed him away. I just looked, to check."
"Tell me, then," I ordered. "Did you see a sunset?"
Sango smiled. "A week ago I would have rattled my brain for months and still not have
understood. Now, I am pretty sure I do. Inuyasha and Miroku, they're alike. And completely
different. Where one sees beauty, the other sees ruins. A sunset, in Inuyasha's eyes, would be the
opposite of Miroku's, wouldn't it be?"
I nodded, looking at my hands. I had one thing plaguing my mind at the moment, and it
wasn't anything Sango had said. Kikyo... she hadn't completely lost him, or had she?
"Then, hai, I saw a sunset," she concluded. "I saw pain and sadness, hurt and betrayal. But,
the sun hasn't set."
"Is that why you and Miroku haven't fully swapped brains?" I giggled.
Sango, in return, grabbed the nearest pillow and flung it at me, laughing. "I'm that bad,
huh?"
"Hai," I smirked. "And a bit worse."
She sighed, "I guess it can't be helped."
We laughed for a while, recalling a few 'lines' we heard from Miroku and a few jokes we
had made on our trip.
"Some week, huh?"
"Yeah," I muttered. "And to think it will end in what- two days?"
"I guess so... Well, it doesn't matter," Sango said. "I'm going to make the best of it. What do
you say, Kagome?"
"I say... I am not going to get any closer than I am, but I'll be more considerate," I answered.
She didn't like that reply and clearly shown her disapproval. "That's it!? After all of this,
you'll still keep him away! What's Shippo going to think about it? 'Oh, okaasan never liked him to
begin with?' I don't think so."
She shook her head and stood. Walking over to me, she pulled me up from my seat by my
shirt's collar. I just watched as she stared at me, her teeth clenched.
"He will be thinking, 'I already made her choose. I already broke her heart, and Inuyasha had
his broken too. It's all my fault'," she mimicked. "That is what he will think."
"I will make sure that he doesn't, Sango, and I won't be hurt by some famous rock star who
has everything waiting for him when he's out of my sight. Girls already swoon over him," I
mumbled. "Though they seem to go after Miroku first, then him after houshi's antics are noticed. I
guess Kouga would be last, then, huh?"
"Not to Aya-chan," Sango said. "And Inuyasha wasn't second to you."
"Yeah, but he was my enemy when I first saw him again," I responded, shrugging her hold
on my shoulders off. "Miroku was too conceited, Kouga's dim. Sesshomaru was too cold."
"You can't say you seriously thought of him like that," Sango gasped.
"Honto, I didn't, but I might have," I mumbled. "Hiten is still waiting," I continued,
offhandedly. "He'd stay."
"Inuyasha might!"
"He won't! And since when have you cared enough to defend
HIM anyway!?" I shouted, pushing Sango away. "Until you see the look on Shippo's face
when Inuyasha leaves, you won't understand. And since I won't be with him, you won't see that
heart breaking look."
I began to leave, only to have Sango try to stop me.
"Iie, Sango-chan. This little 'chat' is over with," I muttered.
"Well, try and cheer up when you're around the others, okay?" Sango suggested. "Maybe
that will help everyone else deal with your... decision. You need to either explain it to Inuyasha or
leave him as he is. Don't play around with his heart anymore.... Oh, and one more thing...
Kagome... you won't have anyone to lean on after we reach land. Remember that."
'Right, I'm suppose to cheer up after she says something like that!' I thought, partially
realizing that I had left the room and was now returning to the diner.
It was all wrong. Everything was wrong. I had made it that way, I couldn't change it back.
That's all I needed to know when I looked at each person in turn; my companions were
sitting at their tables, talking about this, that, and the other. They wouldn't question me. They
didn't want to, not when they could get the answers from Sango.
I sighed and took my place at the table with Inuyasha. Rin and Shippo had joined my
mother and Mrs. Sasayaku while I was gone. Talking quieted a bit, but it didn't stop, though I didn't
care. Instead of tuning in to the conversation about the correct shoes to where during a dance and
the best ways to dance, I looked to the sky.
Countless stars pierce the blackness, lighting the ground below them- or in this case, the
water. The moon's reflection was distorted by the small ripples in the ocean, as was the glow of life
from the cruiser. After a while, I began a game of connect the dots. Boring...
"Hellloooooo!!!!" Ayame yelled, waving a hand in front of my face. "Earth to Kagome!"
"Uh- eh?"
"I said that my mother will watching the kids for the night and wondered if you wanted to do
'game night' tonight or tomorrow."
"Oh," I muttered. "Well, I suppose it's up to everyone else. How about we vote?"
"Alright," Inuyasha spoke. "Whoever is up for games tonight, say 'Aye'."
"Aye!" Ayame and Kouga shouted in unison.
"Aye!" Miroku added after hearing Sango's cheer.
"Okay... That's four for tonight-"
"Five," Inuyasha corrected me.
"Alright- five for tonight and one indifferent," I stated. "Looks like tonight's for games." I
drained the rest of my drink before rising from my chair. "Where are we gonna play?"
The others were silent for a moment before Ayame spoke. "How about our room?"
"Sure!" Miroku chimed, smiling for all he was worth. I laughed and shook my head.
"Ayame-chan!" Sango huffed in protest.
"Nani?" she asked innocently. Sango gave her a flat look, rolling her eyes.
"Nothing."
Everyone remained in their seats, doing absolutely nothing while I stood their like an idiot.
"WELL!?" I shouted, startling them all. "Are we gonna play or not?"
"Oh!"
In the next five minutes, we had all gathered in Sango and Ayame's room, carrying with us a
cooler my 'foreseeing mother' had prepared along with a few bags of chips and some munchies- ya
know, cookies and licorice. Things like that.
Sango immediately proceeded to stuff their dresser in the bathroom and lock the door.
Ayame followed suit and locked the closet, confusing the guys.
"Nani...?" Inuyasha questioned.
"Don't trust ya," Ayame answered before Sango could say anything. Everyone seemed to
understand the meaning, though.
"Right... So," I sighed, "what do we play first?"
Miroku stepped forward with the most serious of expressions. "In the situation we find
ourselves in, I believe it would be best to entertain ourselves with a friendly game in which all that
is needed is a bottle."
Sango slanted a flat look at the drummer, sighing in disgust. "Spin the bottle is not on
tonight's list, Miroku."
"What about tomorrow's list?" he asked expectantly.
"Iie."
"The day after's?"
"Iie, Miroku."
"The day after the day after tomorrow's?"
"MIROKU! The answer is IIE! It will remain that way, understand?" Sango yelled
irritatedly. Miroku pouted.
"Well?" Ayame wondered. "What game?"
Kouga was next to suggest one, which was my first choice. Truth or Dare. (A/N: Yes, I
know it is over used, but I have a reason, as always. ^_^ Scary, I actually pre-thought this part...
^-^;)
"Sure," Sango and Ayame chirped, finding a spot to sit on the bed. I joined them and Miroku
tried, but was pushed off by none other than... All three of us!!! Yes, we are cruel. Oh, and
needless to say, I was feeling much better.
Sulkily, Miroku took a seat in a chair nearest to Inuyasha- funny that I noted that- and
Kouga occupied the other. Inuyasha had found a comfortable spot in the wall to lean on, crossing
his arms over his chest. Hmm... I hadn't seen him like that since the day I adopted Shippo...
Strange...
"So, who's first?" Ayame asked.
"Me!" Sango and Miroku unisoned. The two looked at each other while the rest of us burst
into laughter.
"Ladies first," Miroku offered.
"Well then, ask someone," Sango jeered.
Miroku winced, "that hurt." He shook his head, smirking. "Fine then. Ayame, truth or
dare?"
"Ah... Truth?" Ayame spoke uncertainly.
"What ever happened to your date with Inuyasha?"
"Oh! I forgot about it," Ayame mumbled with wide eyes. "I can't believe I forgot! Shoot."
She slapped her forehead. "Well, Inuyasha? What'd'ya say? Still wanna go on that date?" She
asked sweetly.
Inuyasha was taken aback by the question. He looked to Kouga, noticing the narrowing
eyes. "Nah, I think I'll pass, unless your still up to it." She shook her head. "Fine by me."
"'Kay!" She cheered. "Hmmm... Sango, truth or dare?"
"Dare," she said, boldly.
"Okay... Then I dare you..." She thought for a while before a smile spread over her face.
Leaning over she whispered the dare to Sango, who in turn went pale.
"Iie, Aya-chan, onegai," Sango plead. Ayame only smiled brighter.
For a moment, Sango remained motionless, her eyes closed. I could have been wrong, but it
sounded like she was counting under her breath. When she quit, she looked to me then smiled.
"Ne, I don't think this dare would really hurt," she muttered. That confused me... And scared
me to death. "It might do some good. Kagome, pay very close attention, alright?"
I gulped and nodded, backing away from my friend. Whatever the dare was, I was sure that
I didn't want to know right then. Or ever, for that matter. She was determined to complete
whatever it was.
When she stood and walked over toward Miroku, I sighed, shaking my head. So what, she
was dared to kiss Miroku. Why would that help? Why should I even pay attention? What was the
big deal?
The bigger question in my mind was
'Why the HELL would Ayame dare her to do something so silly? Everyone knows that they
like each other...! It should have been something more embarrassing,' I thought, extremely
displeased. I was expecting more.
Well, Miroku seemed unbelievably happy as Sango slowly approached him. She maintained
eye contact with him the entire time, right up until she grabbed Inuyasha by his shirt collar and
yanked him forward, closing the gap between them.
The entire room gasped when their lips met, including Ayame and Inuyasha. Miroku visible
stiffened and I would have laughed and commented on it. I would have, if I hadn't noticed that I
was in the same situation without enough air to in my lungs to do anymore than remain conscious.
I bit my lip from yelping or calling my friend anything other than her name. Fists at my side
alerted me that I was more than angry enough to knock her out right then and there, but I didn't. I
no longer cared, right? At least, I wasn't supposed to. I had to- for Shippo, I had to leave it be.
Still, my vision turned red as I noted that she wasn't pulling back yet. Jealousy really did do
some strange things to the mind.
'Wait- jealousy? I'm not jealous... Iie, I'm not...' But, I knew the truth. I was jealous and
the same thing had happened at the mall when he had carried Sango. Until he was no longer in my
sight, I would always think of him as mine...
'Mine... I...' My eyes narrowed considerably, a dark aura surrounding me. I couldn't stop
it.
When Sango pulled away, she stepped back, apologizing, then turned toward me, mouthing
'nothing, huh?' Inuyasha stared at the back of her head, blinking a few times, before looking at
Miroku. His co-workers were not at all happy with him at this moment. First Ayame's question,
then Sango's kiss. Bad mix. Not that I care.
Sango cleared her throat, sitting back on the bed. "Well... Kouga, truth or dare?"
"Truth," he said wide-eyed. "Do you think I'm dumb enough to choose dare after that?"
"Hai," Sango and I whispered.
"Iie," Sango said louder. "Truth it is then. What do you think about Aya- chan and her
mother?"
"Umm... Well... I... Uh."
"Come on, spit it out," Sango ordered.
"AyameisawonderfulpersonthatIcouldspendtherestofmylifewithandhermomisanicean
dverystrangewoman," he said, all in one breath. He took a deep breath, looking away with a
blush.
Ayame looked down, also blushing with a small smile. I grinned, nudging her. That
confession certainly cheered me up. After all of that, Kouga had finally forgotten about me. I was
soooo relieved. And my old cheerful mind was back with it.
"Ne, Kouga, I think you just said 'I love her'," I commented. That earned me a bop on the
head from Sango and an elbow in the stomach from Ayame. Sugoi, my friends are violent!
I sighed, standing up. I was getting thirsty and wouldn't mind a few chips. The cooler was
conveniently placed next to Miroku... Convenient my ass. Still, I wasn't going to let a minor
detour stop me.
Kneeling next to the cooler, I whispered up to the still semi-tense Miroku. "Don't worry,
she loves you. Trust me."
"And why should I?"
"Because, I wouldn't lie- OH KAMI-SAMA!" I shouted as I stared into the cooler. For a
moment I just blinked, trying to readjust my eyes. Two packs of beer along with the cokes and
Pepsi's- and of course the added bottle of vodka- was stuffed into the ice. "You have got to be
joking!"
"Nani?" Sango asked. I looked up, coming face to face with Miroku who beamed.
"Yo, your mom is one awesome chick!" he exclaimed.
Shooting him a dry look, I sighed. "That is my mother you are talking about, Miroku," I
stated.
"Well, hello Ms. Obvious," Inuyasha sneered. My head snapped around.
"Hai, and a dandy hello to you, too, Grumpy," I hissed.
"Wench," he shot back.
"Jerk!"
"Loser!"
"BAKA!"
"BITCH!"
"BASTARD!"
"SLUT!"
"Why YOU!" I shouted, attempting to lung at the singer. Miroku blocked my path, telling
me to calm down. "You... Come say that to my face you COWARD!"
"I don't want to be anywhere NEAR you, wannabe," he smirked.
"Wannabe? You're the wannabe!" I shouted, not sure what I meant, but hey, it was all I
could think of. "Why don't you go-"
"WHAT IS IN THE COOLER!?" Sango screamed. My attention turned to her.
For a moment I just bit my tongue, taking a few deep breaths. Shoving houshi away, I stood
and dusted myself of- still taking deep breaths. That was one of the worst arguments I had ever
had, and I was glad Sango had interrupted...
"I'll give you three guesses, and no peeking," I said, plastering a smile on my face.
Sango's expression went flat. "Which does she want first? A Son-in-law or a biological
grandchild?"
"Huh?" Miroku implored.
"A grandchild," I stated. Sango quirked an eyebrow. "Iie, it's not that," I answered her
unspoken guess. "That is meant to 'prevent' it, Sango."
"Then it's alcohol," Sango said, rolling her eyes.
"Honto!?" Kouga and Inuyasha asked. It seemed Inuyasha was over that dispute.
"Hai."
"Does she know that we are all minors?" Miroku asked.
I nodded.
In the blink of an eye, I found myself being squished between the chair and someone else,
though I couldn't tell who. When I finally had enough room to look around, Kouga and Inuyasha
were fighting over a bottle of beer, completely forgetting about the others.
I sighed, turning my attention to the girls. "Should we?"
Ayame and Sango looked at each other for a moment before both of them got a
mischievous sparkle in their eyes. "Sure."
Needless to day, the night got more interesting.
Much more interesting.
And it all started with the next one up to Truth or Dare.
"So, Inuyasha," Kouga began, sitting back in his chair. "Truth or dare?"
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