Chapter 3
Nemesis-
Resting in this empty void, the only thing to comfort him were his memories of his past life. He was once a powerful force to be reckoned with. Yet here he was locked away for his past deeds. Foolish that the mere mortals that placed him here thought the oblivion would keep him here forever. Did they not know over time, he's powers grew? Soon it would be time for his comeback.
If he had a body, he would have sighed and laid back in contemplation. In the world of the living, he was considered a vile disgusting creature. His captors loathed him and feared him. They hunted him down for what he represented.
Like before, if he had a body, he'd probably be smiling. Their hatred was misguided. As it were, they created him. Therefore they should have destroyed themselves when they sentenced him into the void. There are always two sides to a coin. Where there is light lurks the darkness, in this case, that was what he was. He was born from misery, sadness, hatred, greed and every other thing that ailed mortal souls.
Through all the nations, he had many names, spoken in different tongues. It had always meant one thing; Evil. What a ridiculous notion. Evil? When it all comes down to it, what is evil? Truly a misconception created by mortals to explain why bad things happen. The price for logic is the sacrifice of instinct. Curious little minds are often filled with confusion. It was anarchy humans and other mortals feared. In this fear created a need for good versus evil. They created numerous religions and beliefs to cut clear the path. A redundant solution when things didn't go their way.
When good came into existence, so did he.
In this void he would wait. The damn mortals ebbing sense of morals was making it increasingly easy for his return. Yes, he would wait his memories and revenge soothing him. If he had a body, he would laugh with anticipation.
Home sweet home-
Hojo stood out side the hospital with Kagome's bags. He waited patiently as the nurse and a few doctors bid her goodbye. She came down the stone stairs and gust of wind swirled around her. Hojo's breath was caught as he witness the mini wind tunnel threw snow all around her like white glitter. Kagome made a small 'eep' as she ran the rest of the way to him.
"Wow," He said.
"What?" Kagome asked as she shook the snow out of her hair.
"Oh, I said, How… are you feeling?" He stammered.
"I feel great. I can't wait to go home. Ready?" She took his hand with out needing to hear his reply. They walked over to the car garage, but on the way she stopped to look up at a bare tree. She didn't know why but she felt compelled to do so. Hojo was too stunned to really take notice. With a gentle tug, Kagome resumed her walk.
As they walked over to the vehicle, Kagome just gawked at Hojo's car. It was a cherry red GTO, with a beefed up engine and accessories. Kagome whistled her disbelief. Hojo looked especially pleased that Kagome knew what was inside. She closed her eyes and could remember him telling her about his graduation gift.
"Does it have NOS?" Kagome questioned. Hojo shook his head in negation.
"Nope, that's a little too ballsy for me. Although my Uncle still insists on installing it, but I'm afraid I'm just not the racing type. Promise you won't tell anyone?" He said.
Kagome hooked her pinky with his, "I pinky promise!" She gave him a coy smile, "We need to try it some time though."
"Yeah… right." He clicked the button to unlock the doors. They hopped in. Kagome said nothing as Hojo popped in an American Cd of Hard Punk. The bass was blaring and the speakers thundered. Hojo gave her a smile before peeling out of the car Garage.
Kagome spoke easily to him. Their topics range from music to college majors. Hojo wasn't sure if he was going to college, since he had a position within his Uncle's business. As for Kagome, she would have to graduate later, probably during summer school. Kagome laid a hand on her stomach. Hojo glanced over and saw her complex mood dance around her face.
"Kagome," he grabbed her hand, "Every thing is going to be alright." She smiled at him and returned the squeeze. "You'll always have me there for you."
"You don't know how much it means to me," Kagome said softly. He smiled at her glad to hear he was making a difference. So Kagome settled deeper into the bucket seats. She leaned her head back as she listened to the music. She was going home.
She was going home!
Before they knew it, or because how fast Hojo drove they were racing up her street. They pulled up to the curb that led up to the Sunset Shrine. Hojo, always the gentlemen grabbed her luggage and hauled them up the steps. Kagome took a little longer. She looked up and down the streets, then the steps. Every thing was so new.
Stepping up on the first step, she had a glimpse of herself falling down. Everything around her changed. She was crying over a skinned knee. A man was softly cooing to her as he picked her up. The glare of the sun, and curtain of tears hid his face from view. Kagome shook her head to rid herself of the cobwebs in her head but it was no use, the memory was gone. Even if that was the case, she could still feel the gentle feeling she got. The calm, reassuring presence touched her deep. She bounded up the stairs to catch up with Hojo.
Her mother was wiping her hands on her apron as she spoke with Hojo on where her room would be. Her little brother Souta was motioning him to follow as he led them up stairs. Her mother smiled, and there was an elderly man with a cane, who hobbled up to her to give her a hug.
"My dear Kagome," He said kindly. She went up to the man she figured was her grandfather. She gave him a hug that conveyed her happiness. She smiled to herself: he smelt like roots and herbs.
"Oh Kagome, I made your favorite tonight. Go ahead and get situated and then I call you when it's ready." Mrs. Higurashi kissed her daughter's cheek, and in a low tone said, "It's good to have you back."
Kagome smiled as she rushed to the voices up stairs. She ran to the room with the lights on. Souta was on the bed petting the cat. All the while Hojo was looking at her pictures she had on the desk. Her room was small, clean and strangely empty. She couldn't put her finger on it but something was missing. She scanned her room and spotted the window. She rushed over and opened it. There was nothing there but a baren tree. Hojo watched out of the corner of he's eye.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Kagome laughed derisively at her action, "Nothing, really. I just kind of expected something to happen."
"Like Inuyasha sitting there?" Souta said revertly. The room grew quiet at the mention of the unknown man's name. Buyo jumped out of his arms and Souta playfully followed. "Come back here!"
Kagome let a small sigh escape her lips. Hojo walked up to her and held her from behind, arms casually slung over her shoulders. "How can it be? How is it possible to miss something you can't remember?" Kagome was sullen. "I'm scared Hojo."
"What are you scared about?" He asked, rubbing her shoulders to ease her tension.
"I'm afraid to be alone." She admitted.
"You're not alone, you have me, your family-"
"That's different Hojo. I'm thankful I have you all, of course… It's just something else." She closed the window with a heavy thud. Before anyone could say anything her mother called them downstairs. They walked out. Kagome stopped just out her door to look at the window. The curtain was still moving, and for a split second she thought she saw a person sitting on one of the limbs of the tree. She shrugged her shoulders and closed her door.
Relentless-
Sesshoumaru was in a large emporium with various scrolls and books. There were four Demons, of various origins filing and organizing documents. They did not dare to look at their lord. To be so disrespectful could mean death. Today, like many other days, he was in a foul mood.
Sesshoumaru popped a few more pills in his mouth and concentrated on his work. It seemed with his brother's death, the Tetsusaiga had mysteriously vanished off the face of the earth. This knowledge had always bothered him, but to top it off the week that had followed came as a blank. It was a nuisance up until now. He had to understand why. With nothing else to do with his time, he plunged head first into trying to rediscover his father's precious heirloom and to uncover what had happen.
The sharp knock on the door raised many eyes. A handsome man with garnet red locks strolled into the room with an armload of parchment paper. Old symbols not even the human race could ever decipher were written on its soiled surface.
"Hey, I got it," He said as he looked up at Sesshoumaru. "I know this isn't the time but those damn interlopers are back. I taken care of the lycant and thirty vampires but this is getting redundant. When are you coming back to the hunt?" He said as he lean on the desk, his tail swishing. Sesshoumaru glared at his supposed friend. "Alright I'm going." The man waved over his shoulder.
He walked halfway through the room and stopped. He turned around, "Don't forget the New Years Eve Dinner. Many are looking forward to your speech. It's only in a few weeks," He said then left.
Sesshoumaru didn't even look up or acknowledge the Fox demon. He was too busy reading a scroll. It was written in blood, of whose, it was hard to tell. Human, demon, beast, the ink was too old to smell out. He laid it on the table and read the following.
In the land far to the west, the Hanyou Inuyasha wields a powerful sword made of his father's fang, Tetsusaiga. This legendary sword was able to slay 100 strong demons in one swing.
Sesshoumaru skimmed over the majority where it mentioned his half brother's battles. The defeat of the Hanyou Naraku, as he expected was void of any details. It just laid down the facts the Hanyou was destroyed by Inuyasha and his rag-tag team. The passage kept repeating itself. At the point of tossing it away he came upon something else. If his calucalations were correct, this certain event happen when more then half the Youkai population was wiped out. It was small and hastily written.
The final guardian has come at last. Beware the devil that disguises itself within a mere human girl's flesh. No youkai can ever stand up to this child as she has the power of the netherworld. Hell will open up and call forth the return of its children.
Beware the girl… key… none can stand in her presence… trinity power…
Sesshoumaru glared at the parchment. The rest was blurred and parts of the scroll were eroded. He sat back and ordered everyone out. He stared down at it seeing if he could recognize anything else. Nothing seemed to pop out.
He turned to his laptop and type down what he had discovered. The container the Fox Youkai brought held his Retainer's records. He read through most of them but the very last scroll held his attention. He took great interest as to what it said. He reread the entry.
"… Inuyasha the Hanyou came to the palace grounds with ill news. In his company he had the dreaded Toriniti-san and sought council with his elder half brother, Lord Sesshoumaru-sama. His manner was most unusual, for the whelp was unnaturally calm and respectful.
In the Hanyou's account, the battle of the Kokushibyou and Living was to take place on the following evening, under the moonless night. The Hanyou was unnaturally calm when he acknowledge tomorrow was his last day to live. He told the great lord of the western lands to hide out, away from the battle, for any demons that were present would die.
The lord Sesshoumaru-sama demanded to know why he should hide. The Hanyou laugh bitterly and motioned him to the window. The Lord Sesshoumaru-sama looked upon his human pet Rin playing with a woman made of light. Even from this height, to look at the woman was equal to starring at the sun. The Hanyou Inuyasha claimed anyone near with youkai blood for hundreds of leagues would be purified.
The Hanyou simply held up three Vails. Contain within each vessel was a concoction that was potent enough to neutralize the demon blood, temporarily rending the drinker a human for a day. He gave them to the lord Sesshoumaru-sama in case The Lord didn't make it out in time. The Master asked why he was doing this. The Hanyou continued to look upon the woman and said the lands would fall to ruin if there was no one there to guard it.
Upon leaving the Hanyou asked a favor, a dying man's wish. Lord Sesshoumaru agreed to his request. The Hanyou left and was never seen of again."
Sesshoumaru sat back in contemplation. What request did he agree to? He looked down at his Laptop and entered what he read. Again, it told him every thing up to the battle, and then it resumed well after the battle was over. Why was it coming as a blank? He could not fathom why the whole majority was missing. Comparing the two accounts he did a cross reference.
So far he came up with that a girl, a human girl, with supernatural powers was able to purify thousands of demons. He assumed that this altercation resulted in the weakening in all youkai and the death of more then half his kind. What also caught his attention were the many testimonials mentioning Toriniti-san or the Trinity being. That and the girl had purifying magic, meaning she was most likely a miko or white witch. Could it have been Inuyasha's ningen lover? It was impossible. The undead miko died with the confrontation with Naraku and the human girl died a year before this incident.
He continued his work, occasionally popping pills and typing away like a madman.
Walk down memory lane-
Kagome helped her mother load the dishes into the dish washer. Once done she kissed her mom on the temple and said her good night. It really felt good to be home. She stood in the bathroom, brushing out her wayward ebony hair. Looking at herself, she felt different. To be more specific she felt like a real woman. She rubbed her midsection and was amazed at the little miracle she carried.
However, along with pride came the inevitable linger of fear. Would she be a good mom? Heck, was she even ready to have a kid? She nibbled on her lower lip and starred hard at her reflection. Just a young woman looked back at her with no answers. Kagome swallowed hard. She washed her face quickly and left.
Sitting on her bed, she finally gave her room a once over. She noticed a small book shelf in her closet. Curiosity getting the best of her she dug through them. To her utter astonishment she found her dairies, they went as far back as her 7th birthday. Looking at the clock, which was 7:45 pm, she decided she had time to read them. The first was comical as she had yet to learn how to write properly. Her penmanship was a tad sketchy. It made her laugh at all the silly little things she done. She finished it with a warm sigh, and reached for another one.
Upon touching the blue cloth bound journal, Kagome felt a chill. She open it and read all the way to the middle. Everything was fine. It had the typical girl growing up problems. She turned the page and gasped.
The only thing there was written in red pen, carefully scrawled,
Today daddy died in a car crash.
Kagome took a careful breath and set it aside. She pulled her legs up so she may rest her chin on her knees. She had wondered about that. In the living room, there was a picture of a man in a business suit sweeping the shrine grounds, smiling like he didn't mind. He had a nice open smile, blue eyes, and long black hair held back with a clip. She also noted that he had dimples. Was he her father?
She picked it back and began to read. It didn't resume until three months had passed. Her own bitterness and denial shocked her. The pages were often lettered with blurry plops which were likely to be tears. She read what she could when it happen.
It came as a rush. It felt like she was slammed against the wall. The memories assaulted her already frail brain.
She relived every moment. Like an addicted she grabbed dairy after dairy reading every thing she could. It no longer matter what time it was anymore. Once finishing she reread it over again. It was so strange. She was reliving all the emotion, all her experiences, and all her thoughts. She doubled over and cried.
Mrs. Higurashi was down the hall in the computer room when she heard the sniffling sound. She got up and went straight to Kagome's room. In the middle of thrown Journals sat her daughter quietly weeping. Cautiously she walked in the room. She sat next to her daughter and automatically Kagome latched onto her mother's shoulder, bawling.
"Shhhh," Mrs. Higurashi cooed as she rubbed Kagome's back, "Honey what's wrong?"
Kagome hiccupped, her eyes puffy tried to blink back more tears. "I'm so confused. I don't know who I am anymore."
"You are Kagome, my brave, honest and dependable daughter." Mrs. Higurashi said after a while. "Sweetheart in time every thing will come to you. Don't try to rush the process, remember what the therapist said."
"I know…" Kagome sniffed.
"There's something else isn't there?" Her mother knowingly asked.
Kagome nodded absently, "Tell me about him."
"Inuyasha?"
"No, my dad. What was he like?" Kagome looked up at her mom desperate for answers. "I wrote about him in my dairies but it doesn't really seem like much."
"Well, you father was…" Kagome watched as her mother's eyes took on a faraway look, "He was a kind man but really sweet. He had the most adorable smile." She sighed softly and Kagome listened whole heartedly. Her mother told her how strong he was mentally, his humble opinions about the world. She told her about the faraway places he been for his job. She also spoke about his addiction to chocolate chip cookies and Sci-fi magazines. Kagome smiled as her mother carried on about what a good father he was and a wonderful husband. Towards the end, Mrs. Higurashi was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and tried to speak through tears, "Your father would have been so proud of you Kagome."
The two women sat and consoled each other. Grimly Kagome decided she would not let her child grow up feeling this sort of pain. Some way or another, she would uncover what had happen. Her baby deserved that much.
Mrs. Higurashi sat up with a start. "Oh my! It's almost two in the morning. You better get some rest; tomorrow will be a long day." Kagome nodded. Her mother gave her a kiss on the temple and left. However, Kagome sat there for a moment. She put the diaries away. Looking at her womb she made a promise to her unborn baby. Finally feeling at rest she curled up into the blankets. She slept peacefully.
Melancholy-
"How is he today?" Sango asked as Miroku came closer. He wore a stern and troubled look.
"I'm afraid he's getting worse," Miroku lean on his staff wearily, "Nothing seems to be getting through to him. He just sitting there wasting away."
Sango nodded her head. It had been a month since Kagome was locked away in her time. Everyone was busy trying to find ways to break the barrier. All Inuyasha did was sulk. She understood his misery but he was letting it get the best of him. Nothing seemed to work. She tried, Keade tried, and even his best friend Miroku tried but nothing. Sango shook her head in despair.
"Shippou fill a pitcher and gather up some sturdy rope. Kohako could you get my armor for me please?" Sango said. Miroku looked at her questionably and she pointedly responded, "If he's not going to move, by the gods I'll make him."
"Aren't you being a little hasty?" Miroku asked.
"He's not going to get any better moping around the well like some mourner at a gravesite. We need to get him away from there, and back with his friends," She paused, "With his family." Miroku smiled at her determination.
The troop gathered up their supplies to collect their down and out friend. The group was unusually quiet. More so since Kagome left. What they were attempting to do was very dangerous and somewhat cruel. They all agreed, it was a necessary evil.
What they didn't know was that Inuyasha received a visitor after Miroku left. The air grew colder and the silence was deafening. The only sound that dared to interrupt the quiet was the low hum of the wind. Inuyasha was still crouched in front of the well. His skin was filthy and his hair was in knots. It seemed the days with out eating took a great toll on his Hanyou body. He was emancipated beyond recognition.
Sesshoumaru stepped into the clearing. He was in line of sight of Inuyasha but the Hanyou did not acknowledge him. He came close enough where the stench did not bother his nose too much. He snorted in distaste.
"What a disgrace. Does it bring you joy to dishonor father's noble blood?" Sesshoumaru said calmly. The intense gold orbs watched in mild curiosity. Inuyasha didn't respond. He circled the prone and defenseless Hanyou. "That must be the case, since you do it so very often." He could not decide what was more irksome, the lack of response or the blank look in the other's eyes.
"Inuyasha get up," He commanded. Inuyasha continued to sit there staring into the void. His patience was spent. He walked over to the other and kicked him. Inuyasha didn't make a sound as he rolled onto his side. Limp as a doll he continued to stare at the Bone Eater's well.
Sesshoumaru smiled just barely, "So you wish to die?" He stood over the fallen form and rested his foot at the other's throat. "Why little brother do you wish to die? It couldn't be for that worthless human you kept as a lover." There was a small spark of anger in those placid amber eyes. It quickly faded.
"Even with Father's sword and that blasted jewel, you were unable to protect your property." Again that intense rage Sesshoumaru saw, "You were so unfit, they slipped between your fingers. You were always so weak."
"Shut… up…" The voice was harsh through un-use. Inuyasha never once looked at his brother but continued to stare at the well.
"Tell me, dear brother, is your wench dead? Is that the reason you sit out here day after day hoping to die?" He applied pressure until Inuyasha turned a few shades whiter. He leaned down and in a deadly whisper, "Do you think Kagome would be pleased?"
That was final straw. Inuyasha roared and threw off the imposing foot. Sesshoumaru backed up calm as snow. Inuyasha was seething with hatred. The two continued in a stand off.
"Go to hell," Inuyasha bit out. His hands clenched and unclenched. Sesshoumaru gave him a cool glance and turned away. "Where the hell do you think your going?"
"You bore me. I think I'll slaughter a few villages before I retire for the night." Sesshoumaru was nonchalant. Inuyasha pounced but was easily side stepped. To any onlookers, it only appeared a dust stormed had gathered in just that area.
Shippou and Miroku were the only two to take notice. They raced up to the scene. The other's quickly caught up. All of them stood there gaping at the raw carnage of the fight. At last Inuyasha fell back, badly beaten. Cautiously the group ran to their friend's aid. Sesshoumaru stood and lazily flicked his hand to remove the coagulated blood.
He glanced at each of them and finally at Inuyasha who was gagging on his own blood. "I highly doubt that bitch of yours is dead. She's far too stupid to die easily." He turned away. The group glared at his retreating back.
Inuyasha felt numb inside. He was just too weak to do any thing, much less protest. So he had to settle on defeat. He let his friends fawn over his injuries and even let Miroku carry him to the village. He was silent for most of the night. He couldn't help it. He felt dead with out Kagome.
Shippou sat on his chest and carefully poured broth down Inuyasha's throat. Sango and Keade were giving him a sponge bath before they could tend to his injuries. Miroku sat by talking with Kohako about various theories on how to break the shield barrier. He listened to them. Letting their calm voices soothe his broken heart.
Oddly enough, what his brother said gave him peace of mind. There was a chance that Kagome was alive. This new idea opened various doors in his mind. Maybe Kagome was okay and was trying to get to the past. Maybe she was waiting for him to get her!
Inuyasha sat up suddenly. He startled his friends at his abrupt change. "Do you think she's still alive?"
The group all nodded. "I believe in my heart she is fine." Keade said, "Right now, you need to gather your strength, this journey is long and hard. Rest easy tonight Inuyasha." Reluctantly he obeyed. He closed his eyes and thought of Kagome and the day he come to rescue her.
To be continued…