Already There

Chapter Five

New Beginnings

Inuyasha groaned and opened his eyes, only to have to close them again from the searing light. After a few minutes he opened them again; this time squinting. He could make out the hazy outlines of tree canopies above him. Birds chirped and called to one another from their nests.

'Where am I?' he wondered, as he slowly sat up. 'This place looks so familiar, yet I can't remember ever being here.'

"Good, you're awake. I was beginning to worry," said a soft, female voice.

"Who's there?" demanded Inuyasha, jumping to his feet. He looked around franticly, for the source of the voice.

"My dear Inuyasha, you shouldn't be up. You need your rest," answered Kikyo, coming into view. In her arms she had various herbs and medicinal plants. Her soul skimmers flew around her head.

Inuyasha nearly yelped, as a sudden, searing pain went up his leg.

"Who the hell are you," repeated Inuyasha through clenched teeth, "and how do you know my name?"

"You don't remember me, my love?" asked Kikyo sadly. "It's me, Kikyo."

"I've got no clue what you're talking about, wench. I don't know anybody named Kikyo, and if I did, she sure as heck wouldn't be my love," growled Inuyasha.

Without another word he turned around, and stomped out of the clearing, leaving a very stunned miko.

For a few minutes after Inuyasha left, Kikyo stood staring at the spot where he had been.

"He doesn't remember me?" she muttered to herself. "How come he doesn't remember me?"

Kikyo frowned and walked over to a nearby tree, where she sat down.

"Hmmmm . why doesn't he remember? I brought him back with the Shikon jewel, but he seems to have no memory of anybody or anything," she muttered, still to herself.

She stopped for a moment, as she racked her brain for any possible answer or clue as to why this had happened. Finally she came up with the only possible answer.

"It's Kagome," she hissed. Her eyes were full of anger and hate. "He loves Kagome."

Meanwhile .

Inuyasha hurriedly walked through the forest. Too deep in his own thoughts to even notice where his feet were taking him. Not that it mattered or anything. All he knew was that the farther away he got from Kikyo-what's- her-name, the less his leg hurt.

'Kikyo. That sounds so familiar, and she looks so familiar, but where have a meant her before? It's like this forest; somehow I know I've been here, but I can't remember.'

Hearing the sound of running water, he automatically headed towards it. He soon came across a small, winding stream, and stopped to take a drink. Sitting back on his haunches, he wiped a few strands of black hair out of his face, and paused. He picked up a strand, and studied it closely.

'Black hair? Hmmm . somehow that doesn't sound right,' thought Inuyasha, frowning. ' . oh well, not like it matters.'

He shrugged his shoulders, and stood up. Looking around, he found a small dirt path leading back into the forest.

'I wonder where this path leads? I might as well follow it. It's not like I have anything better to do.'

Inuyasha walked over to the path, and began following it, not really caring where it went. After a few minutes of walking, he came upon a large clearing.

"Well, that was a waste of my time," he said, looking around. "There ain't anything here except an old well."

He walked over to said well, and leaned over the edge.

"Why the hell would there be a path leading to an old, dry well?!" he shouted to no one in particular.

He was about to head back the way he came, when he heard something rustling in some nearby bushes. Instinctively, he looked around for somewhere to hide. His eyes immediately fell on the well, and without any hesitation he jumped down it.

"This way! Hurry up!" shouted a young fox-demon, as he walked into the clearing.

"Shippo, are you sure that you heard Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, walking into the clearing. Sango and Kirara followed close behind him. "You do realize that he's been dead for nearly a year, right?"

"I'm absolutely positive I heard him!" exclaimed Shippo, hopping up and down. "I can smell him! He was here only a few minutes ago!"

Sango walked over to the bouncing kitsune, and kneeled in front of him.

"Shippo, you know it's not nice to make up stories; especially ones about ." she started, but was interrupted by Shippo.

"I'm not lying, " he said, crossing his arms, "I really did hear him, and I can really smell him right now!"

"Really? Just like you said you sensed Kagome come through the well?" commented Miroku, sarcastically.

"But I really did!" pleaded Shippo. "Why won't you believe me?"

Before anybody could stop him, Shippo ran out of the clearing. Sango sighed and stood up.

"We better go after him"

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"Okay, so where the hell am I now?" grumbled Inuyasha.

After jumping down the well he had found himself inside some sort of weird, empty house. At first, he thought it was all just a dream. Falling down the well, he could have easily knocked his head on something, right? The possibility of this being a dream, quickly faded, when he was reminded of the pain his leg. There was no way this could be a dream.

"Hey, you! You're not aloud back here! This is private property!" shouted a teenage girl, running towards him.

Inuyasha yelped - partially from surprise, and partially from the pain that now coursed through out his body - and ran out of the well house. The teenage girl stopped and watched him run off the property.

"Kagome, do you have any idea what time it is?" shouted somebody from inside the house.

Kagome looked down at her watch and gasped.

"I'm gonna be late!" she shouted, running down the road, leading to her high school.

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