THE SECRET
Prologue
By: Lady Amarisa Silvermoon
Disclaimers: Normal stuff. Don't own them, just the idea. Please don't
sue me. I tried to make this as realistic as possible, so all of you could
get the actual feel of the situation. Key word there: tried. So, yeah,
normal stuff. Enjoy!
Kagome stared down the well at the darkness below. The infinite darkness. She would leave it all, leave the horrors in her life and return to those who had the power to protect her. And there she would stay, as they always hoped she would. She would stay and never again return to her future world, never. Without a single glance behind her, and her backpack nearly ripping at the seams and far too heavy for her to lift much less carry over long distances, she grabbed her bicycle, climbed over the ledge and fell in, not jumped, but fell helplessly.
"Is Kagome here yet?" Shippo asked anxiously as he paced back and forth.
"Calm down, master Shippo," Myouga ordered gently. "She'll be here when she gets here. There's no need to worry."
"I don't like it. She said she'd be back in two weeks! She's three days late!! Something's wrong! I know it!!"
"I assure you, nothing is wrong. Lady Kagome has not always been very punctual when it comes to arriving here on time, but she always comes, so there is nothing you should worry yourself over. Give her time."
"But —"
"Give her time, young master."
Shippo sighed and continued his pacing. "And where's Inuyasha? Usually he's here, so where is he?"
"Lord Inuyasha has his own reasons for being where he is. I am sure he has a reason for not being here. He's probably back at the village with Miroku and Sango checking on something."
"But he's always here when Kagome comes back! He should be here now! He should —" But his cries silenced when a pale hand rose out of the well and grabbed a hold of the ledge weakly. Shippo instantly jumped up and helped to pull Kagome's bicycle and Kagome out of the well, noticing how heavy things were this time. "Kagome!" he cried. "Why did you bring so much this time?" Then he looked her over. She had on a simple pair of jeans and a thick black sweater, as if she were trying to keep out the cold from her body, but it was not cold out today. "And why aren't you wearing your normal school uniform? Didn't you have school today? You aren't even wearing a skirt."
Kagome stared at Shippo for a few seconds, it was so brief before she spoke again that Shippo thought he didn't notice how sad her eyes seemed. "I had school, yes," she answered softly. "But I didn't go. I decided to stay here with all of you."
"You're staying?!!" the little kitsune asked enthusiastically, overjoyed that Kagome finally made up her mind on the matter. "Yeah!!" He flew towards her and hugged her around her abdomen just as he had done so many times before. However, this time something was different. This time Kagome seemed to recoil from him, but she quickly pushed aside the movement and returned the embrace as if nothing were wrong, so Shippo thought nothing of it.
"My lady, Kagome," said Myouga as he jumped onto her shoulder. "It is good to see you again. And I am very pleased to hear that you have decided to stay."
Kagome smiled sadly and nodded. "I had no other choice," she added so softly that they barely heard her. "Where's Inuyasha?"
"He's not here!" Shippo nearly snapped as he hopped away from Kagome. "And I'm glad."
"Shippo!" scolded Kagome.
"Well I am! He's always messing things up!"
"Do you know where he is?" Kagome asked quickly, almost fearfully.
"Not entirely."
"He just said he had to leave to check on something, he didn't say where he was going," Myouga explained. "We believe he is back at the village with Miroku, Sango and Kaede. But we do not know for sure. Why do you ask, Lady Kagome?"
"Oh . . . good . . ." breathed Kagome quietly. "Oh, no reason. I just wanted to know. Well . . . um . . . when he comes back . . . when they come back . . . could you please tell them that I wish to be alone for a while . . ." It was more of a statement than a question for a favor.
"My lady . . . ?"
"What do you mean?! Aren't you going to stay with us? Can't we come with you?"
"No, Shippo, I'm sorry," she smiled sweetly, and solemnly. "I really need to be alone right now. I don't think it'll be a good thing if you, any of you, were near me. Please understand, I don't mean to be rude. I just . . . really need to be alone right now . . . I'm sorry. . . ." With that, she picked up her bag, anchored it to her bicycle and rode off, never once looking back.
Kagome stared down the well at the darkness below. The infinite darkness. She would leave it all, leave the horrors in her life and return to those who had the power to protect her. And there she would stay, as they always hoped she would. She would stay and never again return to her future world, never. Without a single glance behind her, and her backpack nearly ripping at the seams and far too heavy for her to lift much less carry over long distances, she grabbed her bicycle, climbed over the ledge and fell in, not jumped, but fell helplessly.
"Is Kagome here yet?" Shippo asked anxiously as he paced back and forth.
"Calm down, master Shippo," Myouga ordered gently. "She'll be here when she gets here. There's no need to worry."
"I don't like it. She said she'd be back in two weeks! She's three days late!! Something's wrong! I know it!!"
"I assure you, nothing is wrong. Lady Kagome has not always been very punctual when it comes to arriving here on time, but she always comes, so there is nothing you should worry yourself over. Give her time."
"But —"
"Give her time, young master."
Shippo sighed and continued his pacing. "And where's Inuyasha? Usually he's here, so where is he?"
"Lord Inuyasha has his own reasons for being where he is. I am sure he has a reason for not being here. He's probably back at the village with Miroku and Sango checking on something."
"But he's always here when Kagome comes back! He should be here now! He should —" But his cries silenced when a pale hand rose out of the well and grabbed a hold of the ledge weakly. Shippo instantly jumped up and helped to pull Kagome's bicycle and Kagome out of the well, noticing how heavy things were this time. "Kagome!" he cried. "Why did you bring so much this time?" Then he looked her over. She had on a simple pair of jeans and a thick black sweater, as if she were trying to keep out the cold from her body, but it was not cold out today. "And why aren't you wearing your normal school uniform? Didn't you have school today? You aren't even wearing a skirt."
Kagome stared at Shippo for a few seconds, it was so brief before she spoke again that Shippo thought he didn't notice how sad her eyes seemed. "I had school, yes," she answered softly. "But I didn't go. I decided to stay here with all of you."
"You're staying?!!" the little kitsune asked enthusiastically, overjoyed that Kagome finally made up her mind on the matter. "Yeah!!" He flew towards her and hugged her around her abdomen just as he had done so many times before. However, this time something was different. This time Kagome seemed to recoil from him, but she quickly pushed aside the movement and returned the embrace as if nothing were wrong, so Shippo thought nothing of it.
"My lady, Kagome," said Myouga as he jumped onto her shoulder. "It is good to see you again. And I am very pleased to hear that you have decided to stay."
Kagome smiled sadly and nodded. "I had no other choice," she added so softly that they barely heard her. "Where's Inuyasha?"
"He's not here!" Shippo nearly snapped as he hopped away from Kagome. "And I'm glad."
"Shippo!" scolded Kagome.
"Well I am! He's always messing things up!"
"Do you know where he is?" Kagome asked quickly, almost fearfully.
"Not entirely."
"He just said he had to leave to check on something, he didn't say where he was going," Myouga explained. "We believe he is back at the village with Miroku, Sango and Kaede. But we do not know for sure. Why do you ask, Lady Kagome?"
"Oh . . . good . . ." breathed Kagome quietly. "Oh, no reason. I just wanted to know. Well . . . um . . . when he comes back . . . when they come back . . . could you please tell them that I wish to be alone for a while . . ." It was more of a statement than a question for a favor.
"My lady . . . ?"
"What do you mean?! Aren't you going to stay with us? Can't we come with you?"
"No, Shippo, I'm sorry," she smiled sweetly, and solemnly. "I really need to be alone right now. I don't think it'll be a good thing if you, any of you, were near me. Please understand, I don't mean to be rude. I just . . . really need to be alone right now . . . I'm sorry. . . ." With that, she picked up her bag, anchored it to her bicycle and rode off, never once looking back.