Chapter 4: Plans
Kagome had barely taken three steps into her house before she began to feel the tears well up in her eyes once again. She had hoped that by leaving the Feudal Era she would also be leaving behind the surroundings that reminded her so much of Inuyasha but found that she had been gravely mistaken. Even the smallest, insignificant objects seemed to contain a memory or a feeling of him that sent a wave of sadness through out Kagome's entire body.
"Kagome is that you?"
The young girl jumped slightly at her mother's calls as she gently placed the small ink well [1] back on the desk before her and quickly turned to find her standing in the doorway, nonchalantly wiping her hands on her apron.
"So how was your time in the Feudal Era?"
A single tear rolled down Kagome's cheek as she forced a cheerful smile onto her face and answered back in a slightly cracked voice. "It was great." Mrs. Higurashi frowned slightly as she quickly crossed the room and tilted her daughter's head upward so she could look into her eyes.
"You two are fighting again aren't you?"
Every ounce of composure the young girl had been able to contain crumbled over those few innocent words as she shook her head violently and buried her face into her mother's shoulder. At first the older woman was confused at her daughter's actions but at seeing the prayer beads that now hung from her neck and the sword that lay on the table behind them she finally understood. She let herself and Kagome collapse to the floor where she took the sobbing young woman in her arms and slowly began to rock back and forth.
"Shhh...it's going to ok."
Kagome began to sob harder as she buried her face deeper into her mother's embrace. "N..nno, everything ..is..n't g..going to be..ok.He. d..died..protecting.me." Her muffled words came out as barely a whisper but they reached Mrs. Higurashi all the same. She clutched her daughter closer as she began to feel her own tears fall down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry Kagome," she said soothingly as she continued to rock back and forth. " just remember that he's in a better place now. Some where he'll be at peace and where he'll be able to watch over and love you for all eternity." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Kagome..please don't cry over me." Inuyasha felt a single tear roll down his cheek as his final breath passed his lips and he surrendered to the world of darkness that had been waiting for him at the edge of his mind. After floating with in the black void for seemingly an eternity, the sound of hundreds of tiny wind chimes began to bring the young hanyou out of his dark prison. He opened his eyes slightly and found that he was no longer at Kagome's side but laying in a patch of tall, soft grass at the edge of a small pond. Light pink and lavender hued water lilies floated gently a top its placid surface, occasionally disturbed by a slight breeze that blew through the branches of the sakura trees near by. Taking in the scenery through half lidded eyes, Inuyasha suddenly felt a sense of familiarity flow through him.
' This place....I've been here before.'
Memories of Sesshomaru and the Nothing Woman began to flash through his head as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.
'But that would mean that I'm in...no that can't be right..can it?"
The sound of soft foot steps suddenly reached his ears, making him instinctively jump to his feet and reach to his side for his weapon, only to grope nothing but air. As he spun around, frantically searching for his sword, he abruptly took notice of a large shrine appearing through the mist. Hundreds of small, crystal wind chimes hung from its sloped terra cotta roof, sparkling like diamonds as they swayed gently in the breeze. He tensed slightly as the fog parted, revealing a beautiful young woman. Her long, ebony hair and elegant silk kimono rippled slightly in the wind as her kind face split into a gentle smile.
"My dear Inuyasha, how I've missed you so."
Amber eyes widened in shock as the silver haired young man let his arms fall limply at his sides and dropped weakly to his knees in the soft grass that surrounded him.
"M..mm mother?!"
The young woman's face brightened slightly, tears glistening in her eyes, when another taller figure emerged from the shadows and gently placed a large, clawed hand on her slender shoulder. The man looked to about in his late twenties with long, flowing silver hair that was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his neck with a small strip of dark green leather. Underneath his glimmering golden samurai armor was an outfit similar to Inuyasha's haori, but instead of being a bright crimson, it was an almost unnatural shade of snowy white with small, intricate designs embroidered on them with black thread. His facial markings and pointed ears closely resembled Sesshomaru's but with one major difference. Where Inuyasha's brother always had an expression devoid of any emotion, the amber eyes of the man before the young hanyou were filled with happiness, joy and laughter. He smiled slightly at the confused look the silver haired boy gave him as he stepped forward and placed two heavily tattooed hands on the youth's shoulders before pulling him into a crushing embrace.
"My son, it has been far too long."
Inuyasha gasped in surprise as he forcefully pushed himself away from the man and gave him an incredulous look.
"D..DAD?!"
The man's grin broadened as he ruffled his son's hair affectionately. " So you do have my brains after all." The young man pulled away from the touch and took several steps backward. "But.you're dead. Both of you are dead." He mumbled softly as his mother approached her husband and gently took hold of his arm.
"Yes, we are." She replied as a sad expression crossed her face. " and so are you."
The shocked expression returned to Inuyasha's face as he took several more steps backwards and shook his head violently while staring at his hands raised in front of him.
"No..I can't be.." he shifted his gaze from his hands to his parents. "I can't.." His father held his wife closer in his arms as tears began to well up in her eyes, giving the young man the truth he did not wish to know. Inuyasha hung his head slightly so that his eyes were hidden by his long silver bangs. His shoulders shook slightly as he let out a small shuttering sigh.
"Feh, at least I was able to protect her." He raised his head and gazed questioningly at the couple before him with sorrowful amber eyes. "I did protect her right? I mean, Kagome didn't get hurt did she?" His mother smiled sadly at her beloved son.
"Would you like to see her?"
A small half hearted grin marred his lips as Inuyasha lightly nodded his head. At seeing his response, the young woman closed her eyes and gracefully placed her hands out in front of her where a few moments later a small white water lily formed between her fingers. Suddenly a brilliant flash of bright pink light burst forth from the beautiful flower, blinding the young man and all who witnessed it. When Inuyasha's vision finally returned to him, he was amazed to discover that he was longer standing in the Crossroads garden, but beside the one girl who he had given his life and heart for.
"Kagome."
The young woman was staring directly at the shelf in front of her with an unreadable expression etched upon her face, completely oblivious to his presence. Her body was positioned in such a way that it seemed that she had merely been passing by when she suddenly notice exactly what the small containers resting on the stand beside her actually were; cups of instant Ramen. Pain flickered in Kagome's eyes as she shakily reached for the nearest parcel of food, carelessly tossing it into her basket as she reached up for yet another. As she removed the very last container from the shelf and placed it with the others, her basket finally decided to give out, tossing everything across the cold linoleum floor. She quickly fell to her knees and scrambled to pick up the shattered items as fast as she could while tears streamed down her face and mixed with the spilled food spread out across the floor. Inuyasha quickly knelt by her side with a mixed look of sadness and longing fixed upon his face.
"Oh, Kagome.. I told you not to cry over me." He reached forward to wipe a silvery tear from her cheek when he suddenly noticed that his hand was almost completely transparent. A despondent smile graced his lips as he let out a small tear filled sigh and let his hand fall limply back to his side. " Right, I'm a ghost now. You can't sense me at all can you?" Glistening tears began to fall from his eyes as his parents looked on from behind with sympathetic looks on their faces. The young woman quickly turned and whispered something to her husband, never taking her eyes off the grieving youth before her. His eyes widened with shock from her words ad her was about to reply when she suddenly stepped forward and sat down beside her son.
"Inuyasha?"
The young woman became slightly concerned when the young man gave no sign that he had acknowledged her presence. His sad amber eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to the grieving young woman as she finally picked up the last of the Ramen and shakily rose onto unsteady feet. I wasn't until her retreating form and completely disappeared into the next isle did Inuyasha hesitantly turn his head to look his mother with a blank yet questioning expression on his face. The young woman bit her lip but decided to go on with her idea.
"There may.there may be a way. for you to go back."
Hope flickered across the young man's face but faltered slightly at seeing the sad look his mother now wore. "There's a catch, isn't there."
"I told you he had my brains," his father called out as he approached his family and knelt beside them. His mother smiled slightly but it held no warmth or happiness as she stared sadly into her son's beautiful amber eyes. "There are two complications that come along with this spell. One, should any part of the ritual be done incorrectly, your soul will instantly be shattered and will spread endlessly across the three worlds, never to find its place of peace." The young hanyou snorted softly.
"Well, I've always liked to travel."
His mother gave him a worried look but continued on. "The second reason is by far the worst and is why I urge you to tread upon your decision with the utmost care and caution." Inuyasha nodded slightly as he leaned closer, unfazed by the warning, still eager to find how he could return to his love. She sighed slightly at her son's naïveté to the situation but decided to continue. "Should this work and you do return to the living realm, it will only be for about.twenty years."
He let out a small laugh as he closed one eye and scratched his ear. "Well, it will be twenty more years that I get to be with Kagome and that's twenty more then I have right now."
The young woman sighed as she lowered her gaze to her lap. "The time limit isn't the only problem.. When the twenty years are spent and you 'die', you will no longer be allowed past the gates of heaven."
The young man snorted. "I was going to be allowed into heaven? Obviously someone didn't read my record that closely did they?"
"Inuyasha this is serious!" The stern and slightly forceful tone in his father's voice almost immediately changed the silver haired boy's sarcastic attitude. "When you die, you will instantly be pulled into the pits of hell where you will pay for every evil deed you ever committed, no matter the consequences. This means that should you decide to follow through with this course of action, you will be condemning yourself to an eternity of pain and suffering." The older man looked on through concerned amber eyes as he watched his son take a deep breath and slowly release it while conflicted expressions flickered across his face. "It's your choice son. All I can tell you is let your heart guide you. It knows the right path to lead you to."
Inuyasha inhaled deeply once again before lifting his head to gaze solemnly upon his father. "If I was willing to go to hell for my first love, wouldn't it only make sense for me to face the same fate for my true love? Besides, an eternity without Kagome, even in heaven, would be hell in itself." His father's face softened as he gave Inuyasha a saddening smile and placed his hands on his shoulders. He nodded gently to his wife who shakily reached into the long sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a small round object wrapped in sparkling amethyst silk. She tenderly unraveled the delicate fabric, revealing a beautiful pearly white stone. The kanji of heaven lay submerged within its murky depths, glowing a slightly golden color from the surrounding light.
"This," she explained, " is the Tendou[2] Stone, one of the three treasures you must collect for this ritual." She then reached out and plucked a small light pink water lily from the ponds surface and placed it along with the talisman and a lock of her ebony hair in the palm of Inuyasha's hand. "Along with jewels, you must also collect two specific items from each world."
The young hanyou's head shot up at this comment. "Wait. All three worlds? I'm going to have to travel into Hell?!"
The young woman bit her lip as she twisted her hands about in her lap. "Unfortunately yes. It also means that you must contact someone in the living realm and tell them of our plans so that they may begin their search for the Chi[3] Stone and its accompanying charms."
Inuyasha nodded slightly and rubbed his hands together as a small grin split across his face. "Well, let's get to it shall we?"
Both his parents smiled back at the youth as the young woman once again formed the glowing lotus flower between her fingers. When his amber eyes finally adjusted to the unaccustomed darkness, Inuyasha found himself hovering cross-legged above Kagome's sleeping form sprawled haphazardly across her bed. He sighed slightly as he leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart.
"I just hope that she listens to her dreams more then I do."
~~~~~~~~~~~Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1] If this confuses you then mayb this will clear it up. Everything in her house reminded her of Inu. Ok. So when she found the ink well it reminded her of how sensitive his nose was 2 the stuff like when they face the man with pot of ink w/ a jewel shard in it. A know? If u don't email me and ill explain it in better detail.
[2] Heaven
[3] Earth
Ok once again I'm sry it took so long but I had a family crisis so I couldn't do much about it. Im working as fast as I can on the next chap and hopefully no more members of my family die and I get it done soon (or velvetblood will b forming a protest against me...lol j/k {I hope}) thanx again Ja Ne!
Kagome had barely taken three steps into her house before she began to feel the tears well up in her eyes once again. She had hoped that by leaving the Feudal Era she would also be leaving behind the surroundings that reminded her so much of Inuyasha but found that she had been gravely mistaken. Even the smallest, insignificant objects seemed to contain a memory or a feeling of him that sent a wave of sadness through out Kagome's entire body.
"Kagome is that you?"
The young girl jumped slightly at her mother's calls as she gently placed the small ink well [1] back on the desk before her and quickly turned to find her standing in the doorway, nonchalantly wiping her hands on her apron.
"So how was your time in the Feudal Era?"
A single tear rolled down Kagome's cheek as she forced a cheerful smile onto her face and answered back in a slightly cracked voice. "It was great." Mrs. Higurashi frowned slightly as she quickly crossed the room and tilted her daughter's head upward so she could look into her eyes.
"You two are fighting again aren't you?"
Every ounce of composure the young girl had been able to contain crumbled over those few innocent words as she shook her head violently and buried her face into her mother's shoulder. At first the older woman was confused at her daughter's actions but at seeing the prayer beads that now hung from her neck and the sword that lay on the table behind them she finally understood. She let herself and Kagome collapse to the floor where she took the sobbing young woman in her arms and slowly began to rock back and forth.
"Shhh...it's going to ok."
Kagome began to sob harder as she buried her face deeper into her mother's embrace. "N..nno, everything ..is..n't g..going to be..ok.He. d..died..protecting.me." Her muffled words came out as barely a whisper but they reached Mrs. Higurashi all the same. She clutched her daughter closer as she began to feel her own tears fall down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry Kagome," she said soothingly as she continued to rock back and forth. " just remember that he's in a better place now. Some where he'll be at peace and where he'll be able to watch over and love you for all eternity." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Kagome..please don't cry over me." Inuyasha felt a single tear roll down his cheek as his final breath passed his lips and he surrendered to the world of darkness that had been waiting for him at the edge of his mind. After floating with in the black void for seemingly an eternity, the sound of hundreds of tiny wind chimes began to bring the young hanyou out of his dark prison. He opened his eyes slightly and found that he was no longer at Kagome's side but laying in a patch of tall, soft grass at the edge of a small pond. Light pink and lavender hued water lilies floated gently a top its placid surface, occasionally disturbed by a slight breeze that blew through the branches of the sakura trees near by. Taking in the scenery through half lidded eyes, Inuyasha suddenly felt a sense of familiarity flow through him.
' This place....I've been here before.'
Memories of Sesshomaru and the Nothing Woman began to flash through his head as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.
'But that would mean that I'm in...no that can't be right..can it?"
The sound of soft foot steps suddenly reached his ears, making him instinctively jump to his feet and reach to his side for his weapon, only to grope nothing but air. As he spun around, frantically searching for his sword, he abruptly took notice of a large shrine appearing through the mist. Hundreds of small, crystal wind chimes hung from its sloped terra cotta roof, sparkling like diamonds as they swayed gently in the breeze. He tensed slightly as the fog parted, revealing a beautiful young woman. Her long, ebony hair and elegant silk kimono rippled slightly in the wind as her kind face split into a gentle smile.
"My dear Inuyasha, how I've missed you so."
Amber eyes widened in shock as the silver haired young man let his arms fall limply at his sides and dropped weakly to his knees in the soft grass that surrounded him.
"M..mm mother?!"
The young woman's face brightened slightly, tears glistening in her eyes, when another taller figure emerged from the shadows and gently placed a large, clawed hand on her slender shoulder. The man looked to about in his late twenties with long, flowing silver hair that was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his neck with a small strip of dark green leather. Underneath his glimmering golden samurai armor was an outfit similar to Inuyasha's haori, but instead of being a bright crimson, it was an almost unnatural shade of snowy white with small, intricate designs embroidered on them with black thread. His facial markings and pointed ears closely resembled Sesshomaru's but with one major difference. Where Inuyasha's brother always had an expression devoid of any emotion, the amber eyes of the man before the young hanyou were filled with happiness, joy and laughter. He smiled slightly at the confused look the silver haired boy gave him as he stepped forward and placed two heavily tattooed hands on the youth's shoulders before pulling him into a crushing embrace.
"My son, it has been far too long."
Inuyasha gasped in surprise as he forcefully pushed himself away from the man and gave him an incredulous look.
"D..DAD?!"
The man's grin broadened as he ruffled his son's hair affectionately. " So you do have my brains after all." The young man pulled away from the touch and took several steps backward. "But.you're dead. Both of you are dead." He mumbled softly as his mother approached her husband and gently took hold of his arm.
"Yes, we are." She replied as a sad expression crossed her face. " and so are you."
The shocked expression returned to Inuyasha's face as he took several more steps backwards and shook his head violently while staring at his hands raised in front of him.
"No..I can't be.." he shifted his gaze from his hands to his parents. "I can't.." His father held his wife closer in his arms as tears began to well up in her eyes, giving the young man the truth he did not wish to know. Inuyasha hung his head slightly so that his eyes were hidden by his long silver bangs. His shoulders shook slightly as he let out a small shuttering sigh.
"Feh, at least I was able to protect her." He raised his head and gazed questioningly at the couple before him with sorrowful amber eyes. "I did protect her right? I mean, Kagome didn't get hurt did she?" His mother smiled sadly at her beloved son.
"Would you like to see her?"
A small half hearted grin marred his lips as Inuyasha lightly nodded his head. At seeing his response, the young woman closed her eyes and gracefully placed her hands out in front of her where a few moments later a small white water lily formed between her fingers. Suddenly a brilliant flash of bright pink light burst forth from the beautiful flower, blinding the young man and all who witnessed it. When Inuyasha's vision finally returned to him, he was amazed to discover that he was longer standing in the Crossroads garden, but beside the one girl who he had given his life and heart for.
"Kagome."
The young woman was staring directly at the shelf in front of her with an unreadable expression etched upon her face, completely oblivious to his presence. Her body was positioned in such a way that it seemed that she had merely been passing by when she suddenly notice exactly what the small containers resting on the stand beside her actually were; cups of instant Ramen. Pain flickered in Kagome's eyes as she shakily reached for the nearest parcel of food, carelessly tossing it into her basket as she reached up for yet another. As she removed the very last container from the shelf and placed it with the others, her basket finally decided to give out, tossing everything across the cold linoleum floor. She quickly fell to her knees and scrambled to pick up the shattered items as fast as she could while tears streamed down her face and mixed with the spilled food spread out across the floor. Inuyasha quickly knelt by her side with a mixed look of sadness and longing fixed upon his face.
"Oh, Kagome.. I told you not to cry over me." He reached forward to wipe a silvery tear from her cheek when he suddenly noticed that his hand was almost completely transparent. A despondent smile graced his lips as he let out a small tear filled sigh and let his hand fall limply back to his side. " Right, I'm a ghost now. You can't sense me at all can you?" Glistening tears began to fall from his eyes as his parents looked on from behind with sympathetic looks on their faces. The young woman quickly turned and whispered something to her husband, never taking her eyes off the grieving youth before her. His eyes widened with shock from her words ad her was about to reply when she suddenly stepped forward and sat down beside her son.
"Inuyasha?"
The young woman became slightly concerned when the young man gave no sign that he had acknowledged her presence. His sad amber eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to the grieving young woman as she finally picked up the last of the Ramen and shakily rose onto unsteady feet. I wasn't until her retreating form and completely disappeared into the next isle did Inuyasha hesitantly turn his head to look his mother with a blank yet questioning expression on his face. The young woman bit her lip but decided to go on with her idea.
"There may.there may be a way. for you to go back."
Hope flickered across the young man's face but faltered slightly at seeing the sad look his mother now wore. "There's a catch, isn't there."
"I told you he had my brains," his father called out as he approached his family and knelt beside them. His mother smiled slightly but it held no warmth or happiness as she stared sadly into her son's beautiful amber eyes. "There are two complications that come along with this spell. One, should any part of the ritual be done incorrectly, your soul will instantly be shattered and will spread endlessly across the three worlds, never to find its place of peace." The young hanyou snorted softly.
"Well, I've always liked to travel."
His mother gave him a worried look but continued on. "The second reason is by far the worst and is why I urge you to tread upon your decision with the utmost care and caution." Inuyasha nodded slightly as he leaned closer, unfazed by the warning, still eager to find how he could return to his love. She sighed slightly at her son's naïveté to the situation but decided to continue. "Should this work and you do return to the living realm, it will only be for about.twenty years."
He let out a small laugh as he closed one eye and scratched his ear. "Well, it will be twenty more years that I get to be with Kagome and that's twenty more then I have right now."
The young woman sighed as she lowered her gaze to her lap. "The time limit isn't the only problem.. When the twenty years are spent and you 'die', you will no longer be allowed past the gates of heaven."
The young man snorted. "I was going to be allowed into heaven? Obviously someone didn't read my record that closely did they?"
"Inuyasha this is serious!" The stern and slightly forceful tone in his father's voice almost immediately changed the silver haired boy's sarcastic attitude. "When you die, you will instantly be pulled into the pits of hell where you will pay for every evil deed you ever committed, no matter the consequences. This means that should you decide to follow through with this course of action, you will be condemning yourself to an eternity of pain and suffering." The older man looked on through concerned amber eyes as he watched his son take a deep breath and slowly release it while conflicted expressions flickered across his face. "It's your choice son. All I can tell you is let your heart guide you. It knows the right path to lead you to."
Inuyasha inhaled deeply once again before lifting his head to gaze solemnly upon his father. "If I was willing to go to hell for my first love, wouldn't it only make sense for me to face the same fate for my true love? Besides, an eternity without Kagome, even in heaven, would be hell in itself." His father's face softened as he gave Inuyasha a saddening smile and placed his hands on his shoulders. He nodded gently to his wife who shakily reached into the long sleeve of her kimono and pulled out a small round object wrapped in sparkling amethyst silk. She tenderly unraveled the delicate fabric, revealing a beautiful pearly white stone. The kanji of heaven lay submerged within its murky depths, glowing a slightly golden color from the surrounding light.
"This," she explained, " is the Tendou[2] Stone, one of the three treasures you must collect for this ritual." She then reached out and plucked a small light pink water lily from the ponds surface and placed it along with the talisman and a lock of her ebony hair in the palm of Inuyasha's hand. "Along with jewels, you must also collect two specific items from each world."
The young hanyou's head shot up at this comment. "Wait. All three worlds? I'm going to have to travel into Hell?!"
The young woman bit her lip as she twisted her hands about in her lap. "Unfortunately yes. It also means that you must contact someone in the living realm and tell them of our plans so that they may begin their search for the Chi[3] Stone and its accompanying charms."
Inuyasha nodded slightly and rubbed his hands together as a small grin split across his face. "Well, let's get to it shall we?"
Both his parents smiled back at the youth as the young woman once again formed the glowing lotus flower between her fingers. When his amber eyes finally adjusted to the unaccustomed darkness, Inuyasha found himself hovering cross-legged above Kagome's sleeping form sprawled haphazardly across her bed. He sighed slightly as he leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart.
"I just hope that she listens to her dreams more then I do."
~~~~~~~~~~~Notes~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1] If this confuses you then mayb this will clear it up. Everything in her house reminded her of Inu. Ok. So when she found the ink well it reminded her of how sensitive his nose was 2 the stuff like when they face the man with pot of ink w/ a jewel shard in it. A know? If u don't email me and ill explain it in better detail.
[2] Heaven
[3] Earth
Ok once again I'm sry it took so long but I had a family crisis so I couldn't do much about it. Im working as fast as I can on the next chap and hopefully no more members of my family die and I get it done soon (or velvetblood will b forming a protest against me...lol j/k {I hope}) thanx again Ja Ne!