Kagome looked around, wondering where she was. She remembered the
area, somehow, but there was a void in her heart which contained such
memories. She dragged herself out of the dry well, and looked around some
more. Where am I? she thought.
Suddenly, she noticed a blur of smoke in the sky. She wondered what it was, and began to walk in the direction. Something was drawing her there. Finally, after traveling through the forest for a while, she found what appeared to be a small village. At least, that is what it appeared to have been at one time. The area was in ruins. There were a few stray huts leftover, but the majority was burnt wreckage.
Kagome wandered through the rubble, looking around. Here and there, she noticed traces of blood, and they made her shudder. Something horrible had happened to this village. She didn't know what to think or do, so she just began to walk towards one of the remaining huts, wondering if there could be someone left alive.
She went to the front of the hut. She wasn't sure how she should go about knocking. The door itself wasn't very solid, considering that it was a bamboo screen. There wasn't a doorbell in sight. She decided to tap on the side. She lightly raised her knuckles and tapped the thin side of the hut. At first, she didn't hear a sound, so she knocked again. Finally, loud rustling noises and a few bangs emerged from the cottage.
A man of about twenty nine years answered the door. He was tall and handsome, and his black hair was short, not past his neck. He wore a purple cloth around his waist. His brown eyes observed my figure, and he grinned. "Why, do come in, ma'am!" he remarked, ushering me towards a table and some tatami mats. I sat down with a blush.
A woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties stepped out of the other room, a sheet wrapped around her. "Miroku!" she exclaimed. "Inviting a guest into the house at a time such as this! You could've allowed me to get dressed!" She winked to him, and then turned to Kagome.
"I'm really sorry about this," she said. "He's sometimes a bit-" She stopped with a quick gasp. She looked Kagome over wide-eyed, then slowly stepped towards her, Miroku observing her with wonder. She smiled to her, and finally broke the awkward silence.
"K-Kagome-san!" she stuttered.
Kagome looked at her, wondering how she had known her name. "Hai, that's my name..." she said slowly and hesitantly.
"Kagome-sama?" said Miroku, who looked back and forth at Kagome and Sango. "You're... you are Kagome-sama!" He then leaned over and gave Kagome a swift hug, embracing her tight. "And not a moment too soon!"
Kagome drew back. "I-I'm sorry..." she stated. "I can't say I really remember who you are. If I did once, I'm... I'm sorry I don't now."
They both stared at Kagome, startled. Kagome herself had a strange feeling of happiness in her heart, but she didn't know why. "Well, I'm sure if I did remember you, I'd surely be happy to see you again." She said with a weak smile.
Sango and Miroku appeared to be a bit cheerier, after hearing her comment. Sango smiled, and spoke. "Even if you don't remember us, you're still the same Kagome-san I know," she said with a grin. Miroku joined in the grin.
A few rustles came to Kagome's ears, and she turned to see two children walking into the hut. One appeared to be about ten years old, while the other appeared a bit younger, maybe seven or eight. The older one had long black hair tied into a long pony-tail. Kagome noted that he had the same kind of cloth covering his right hand as Miroku had. She didn't remember anything, but something in her heart twisted and made her feel dreadfully sad. The boy had the sad eyes of Sango, and the mischievous appearance of Miroku. One would say he had a small build, possibly venture to call him scrawny. He was quite obviously the son of Miroku and Sango.
The boy also looked over Kagome with his sad brown eyes. He didn't understand her, and he wondered why she was there. He fidgeted with the waist band of his yukata. He then turned to his mother and father.
"I'm back from Shippou-kun's house," he stated. They smiled to him. A small feeling emerged inside me at the mention of that name. "He wondered if he could stay for a while," he stated matter-of-factly. It seemed he was not upset in the least by the prospect supported by the fact that both of his parents were, basically, wearing no garments.
Kagome then set her eyes on the younger looking one. He was a short boy, with fiery orange hair. His ears were pointed, and he had thoughtful blue/green eyes, which made her smile. The young boy looked at her and smiled ferociously wide with excitement. He leaped onto Kagome with a grin.
"Kagome-sama!" he exclaimed. It was about then that Kagome noticed the bushy fox tail, which made her startled. "I-I..." she said, not knowing how to tell the young child she didn't know who he was.
Miroku and Sango looked at the young boy. "Shippou," Sango stated with a bit of a sad tone. "Kagome appears to have... forgotten us."
Shippou looked at Kagome, eyes wide. "That's not true, is it Kagome- sama?" he said, tears forming in those vast blue/green eyes. 'You-you didn't f-forget us... d-did you...?" he asked, waiting for my answer. When Kagome could find no words to speak, he hung his head. He was obviously crying, but he didn't want his friends to know. Kagome, struck by some strange memories buried in her mind, embraced Shippou, and smiled. "Don't be silly, Shippou-chan. I haven't forgotten you," she said with a smile.
Sango and Miroku looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Kagome's head was being ambushed by old memories of the adorable kitsune. When she drew back from Shippou, she smiled wholeheartedly, understanding his past, and his sorrows. "I'm here for you, Shippou-chan," she said with a cheery disposition.
"Y-you..." Miroku started, and his wife finished for him. "How can you suddenly remember Shippou?"
"I... I don't know," stated Kagome. "Something about his face. It acted as a trigger. All of these memories just flooded into my head. Hopefully the same thing will happen soon about you two."
"So, what's your son's name?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Sota," stated Miroku.
"After my brother," said Kagome with a smile.
Suddenly, she noticed a blur of smoke in the sky. She wondered what it was, and began to walk in the direction. Something was drawing her there. Finally, after traveling through the forest for a while, she found what appeared to be a small village. At least, that is what it appeared to have been at one time. The area was in ruins. There were a few stray huts leftover, but the majority was burnt wreckage.
Kagome wandered through the rubble, looking around. Here and there, she noticed traces of blood, and they made her shudder. Something horrible had happened to this village. She didn't know what to think or do, so she just began to walk towards one of the remaining huts, wondering if there could be someone left alive.
She went to the front of the hut. She wasn't sure how she should go about knocking. The door itself wasn't very solid, considering that it was a bamboo screen. There wasn't a doorbell in sight. She decided to tap on the side. She lightly raised her knuckles and tapped the thin side of the hut. At first, she didn't hear a sound, so she knocked again. Finally, loud rustling noises and a few bangs emerged from the cottage.
A man of about twenty nine years answered the door. He was tall and handsome, and his black hair was short, not past his neck. He wore a purple cloth around his waist. His brown eyes observed my figure, and he grinned. "Why, do come in, ma'am!" he remarked, ushering me towards a table and some tatami mats. I sat down with a blush.
A woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties stepped out of the other room, a sheet wrapped around her. "Miroku!" she exclaimed. "Inviting a guest into the house at a time such as this! You could've allowed me to get dressed!" She winked to him, and then turned to Kagome.
"I'm really sorry about this," she said. "He's sometimes a bit-" She stopped with a quick gasp. She looked Kagome over wide-eyed, then slowly stepped towards her, Miroku observing her with wonder. She smiled to her, and finally broke the awkward silence.
"K-Kagome-san!" she stuttered.
Kagome looked at her, wondering how she had known her name. "Hai, that's my name..." she said slowly and hesitantly.
"Kagome-sama?" said Miroku, who looked back and forth at Kagome and Sango. "You're... you are Kagome-sama!" He then leaned over and gave Kagome a swift hug, embracing her tight. "And not a moment too soon!"
Kagome drew back. "I-I'm sorry..." she stated. "I can't say I really remember who you are. If I did once, I'm... I'm sorry I don't now."
They both stared at Kagome, startled. Kagome herself had a strange feeling of happiness in her heart, but she didn't know why. "Well, I'm sure if I did remember you, I'd surely be happy to see you again." She said with a weak smile.
Sango and Miroku appeared to be a bit cheerier, after hearing her comment. Sango smiled, and spoke. "Even if you don't remember us, you're still the same Kagome-san I know," she said with a grin. Miroku joined in the grin.
A few rustles came to Kagome's ears, and she turned to see two children walking into the hut. One appeared to be about ten years old, while the other appeared a bit younger, maybe seven or eight. The older one had long black hair tied into a long pony-tail. Kagome noted that he had the same kind of cloth covering his right hand as Miroku had. She didn't remember anything, but something in her heart twisted and made her feel dreadfully sad. The boy had the sad eyes of Sango, and the mischievous appearance of Miroku. One would say he had a small build, possibly venture to call him scrawny. He was quite obviously the son of Miroku and Sango.
The boy also looked over Kagome with his sad brown eyes. He didn't understand her, and he wondered why she was there. He fidgeted with the waist band of his yukata. He then turned to his mother and father.
"I'm back from Shippou-kun's house," he stated. They smiled to him. A small feeling emerged inside me at the mention of that name. "He wondered if he could stay for a while," he stated matter-of-factly. It seemed he was not upset in the least by the prospect supported by the fact that both of his parents were, basically, wearing no garments.
Kagome then set her eyes on the younger looking one. He was a short boy, with fiery orange hair. His ears were pointed, and he had thoughtful blue/green eyes, which made her smile. The young boy looked at her and smiled ferociously wide with excitement. He leaped onto Kagome with a grin.
"Kagome-sama!" he exclaimed. It was about then that Kagome noticed the bushy fox tail, which made her startled. "I-I..." she said, not knowing how to tell the young child she didn't know who he was.
Miroku and Sango looked at the young boy. "Shippou," Sango stated with a bit of a sad tone. "Kagome appears to have... forgotten us."
Shippou looked at Kagome, eyes wide. "That's not true, is it Kagome- sama?" he said, tears forming in those vast blue/green eyes. 'You-you didn't f-forget us... d-did you...?" he asked, waiting for my answer. When Kagome could find no words to speak, he hung his head. He was obviously crying, but he didn't want his friends to know. Kagome, struck by some strange memories buried in her mind, embraced Shippou, and smiled. "Don't be silly, Shippou-chan. I haven't forgotten you," she said with a smile.
Sango and Miroku looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Kagome's head was being ambushed by old memories of the adorable kitsune. When she drew back from Shippou, she smiled wholeheartedly, understanding his past, and his sorrows. "I'm here for you, Shippou-chan," she said with a cheery disposition.
"Y-you..." Miroku started, and his wife finished for him. "How can you suddenly remember Shippou?"
"I... I don't know," stated Kagome. "Something about his face. It acted as a trigger. All of these memories just flooded into my head. Hopefully the same thing will happen soon about you two."
"So, what's your son's name?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Sota," stated Miroku.
"After my brother," said Kagome with a smile.