Chapter Two: The Memories
In the car ride to the beach, all Kagome could think about was Inuyasha. She opened the window and let her long, black hair tangle around herself with the wind. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"Hey, Mom! Are we there yet?" Souta chimed, purposely getting on his mother's nerves. A stoplight ahead turned red and the car stopped. Mrs. Higurashi turned her head and glared at Souta behind her.
"Honestly, Souta, does it look like we're there yet?" Souta shook his head. "That's what I thought. Now, don't mess with your mother." The light turned green and the silver Mercedes sped off.
"Hey, Gramps? Could you turn on the radio?" Souta asked. Grandpa pressed the small button that said radio and almost immediately the sound of hard rock echoed throughout the car. The song, "Off To Neverneverland" by Metalica came on. Souta knocked his head up and down trying to look cool.
"Can't we listen to something a little easier on the ears, hmmm?" Mrs. Higurashi asked and then turned the knob to the station 95.7 and the song "The First Cut" by Sheryl Crow came on. Mrs. Higurashi bounced her head from side to side, humming the tune, but failing miserably.
"Awe... Mom! Ewww! This is sissy music!" Souta whined. Mrs. Higurashi looked in the rearview mirror and glared at Souta again. Souta gulped.
"Yeah, and what's wrong with sissy music? Hmmm?" Souta glared back at her and the bickering began.
"Oh, please! Cathy, honestly, if you don't keep your eyes on the road, we'll get in an accident! Souta, you fight more with your mother than she does with Kagome! You're acting more like a teenage girl than she is!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Speaking of teenage girls, Kagome, what's wrong with you? You haven't said a word since the beginning of this car ride. What's the matter?" He asked her. The other two immediately stopped their fight, and cautiously peered over at Kagome.
Kagome refocused into the real world when she heard her name. She looked at all of them and shrugged. The others shrugged back. A few moments later the fight broke out again.
"I'll tell ya what's wrong with sissy music! It makes us "cool" guys look like girls if we listen to it! It's always about love, and never about cool stuff!" Souta exclaimed.
"Oh, really? What's cool stuff anyway?" Mrs. Higurashi shouted back at Souta.
Kagome sighed and unzipped her backpack, taking out her cd player. She slipped in her mix cd. It had all of her favorite songs on it. Kagome pressed the scan button until it reached song number seven, "Red Light Fever" by Liz Phair. The lyrics went though her head, each word reminding her of Inuyasha.
"Lying wide awake in the dark. Trying to figure out where you are. Always going nowhere. Afraid of going somewhere, and somewhere's a place in your heart."
Tears began welding up into her eyes. 'I can't believe him! I can't believe me! How could I possibly think he would actually like me?' She thought to herself.
"Scared the lights will turn green. You'll have to be seen. You'll be like anybody else. Scared the lights will turn red. You're stuck in your head. To scared to commit to even her. How you gonna get through the year?"
A silent tear ran down her soft, flushed cheeks and she looked out the window, wind blowing on her hot face.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was still following the scent of Kagome. As he was running, people nervously watched the silver haired dog-eared demon. Some people even fled the scene, screaming. Inuyasha didn't even notice. He stopped abruptly when he smelled her tears.
"Damn it all!" He cursed. Mothers covered their children's ears and turned away. "Why is she crying again? Awe, hell! It better not be because of me!" He began running again in search of Kagome.
"Kagome, c'mon! Wake up!" Souta shouted to his sleeping sister. Kagome's eyes fluttered open. "We're gonna miss the sunrise!" Souta took a hold of Kagome's arm and drug her out of the car. Kagome groaned but let Souta lead the way.
Once on the beach, Souta sat down along with Kagome next to their mother and grandfather. Kagome sighed tiredly and yawned. The sun was just peeping out over the horizon. Colors of pink, gold, orange, and still some black swirled over the sky and along the shadows of the rippling ocean. How Kagome longed for Inuyasha to be there with her. She thought about one time when they were watching the sunrise together, not to long ago.
They sat next to each other on the cliff side, the gold sun beaming over the horizon. Kagome turned to face Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha? May I ask you a question?" Kagome asked him.
"You just did." Inuyasha smiled at her. Kagome smiled back.
"No, seriously." Kagome asked. "Ummm... do you still plan on being a full fledged demon when the jewel is complete?" A moment of silence passed over the two as a slight gust of wind blew over their shoulders, sending their hair billowing to the side. Inuyasha looked up to the deep black of the sky above them.
"You know Kagome, I don't really think I should." He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Really? You're actually gonna give up you're dream of becoming a full demon?" Kagome pondered.
"It was never really a dream in the first place." Inuyasha opened his eyes and peered at the sun. "It was more of a priority. I thought that if I became a full demon things would be different, and people wouldn't think down on me like they would now." Kagome sat in silence.
"But then I realized..." Inuyasha stopped and looked down at Kagome and their eyes locked. "Protecting you is more of a priority than anything else. If I become a full demon, then... I may end up slaughtering you and the others. Kagome... I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you. I will always protect you." Kagome blushed up at him.
"Only because... I can see the jewel shards..." Kagome looked down to the ground. Inuyasha tenderly touched her cheek and turned her face to look back up at him.
"No, because you're my best friend, and you mean so much to me." Inuyasha whispered to her. Kagome gasped, blushing, and peered down to the ground.
Inuyasha slung his arm around her and pulled her close to his body. They embraced longer until the sunrise was complete.
Once the sunrise was over, the family trudged sleepily inside the beach house and groggily went about the rooms. Mrs. Higurashi began to make some breakfast pancakes in the kitchen as Souta loaded his video games in the living room. Grandpa went around cleaning some of the dust and dirt about the different rooms and Kagome went to take a hot bath.
Inuyasha could finally pick up the strongest scent of Kagome. It was not far away, and at least the scent of tears had decreased. Inuyasha slowed to a walking pace. He quietly thought to himself about Kagome and how much he had probably hurt her feelings. A memory of when they had once been together alone by the campfire flew across of his mind.
"You know what I think Inuyasha?" Kagome said as they both gazed into the orange fire.
"What?" Inuyasha asked her, trying to act like he wasn't interested in what she was about to say.
"I think that the waves of a fire bed are in a raging war, always fighting and competing to stay alive. Always trying to be the last flame standing. The last flame brilliantly living on and always succeeding, until the last breath they take when the night falls on them." Kagome pondered.
"Where'd you get that idea?" Inuyasha asked and raised an eyebrow.
"I don't really know. I guess it just reminded me of how there is a battle still going on inside the jewel, and how that battle will forever last just as long as the world keeps on fighting for it. Until the jewel ceases to exist." Kagome peered up at Inuyasha.
"Sure... whatever..." Inuyasha was amazed at how Kagome was so intelligent and open-minded like that. "It that it?"
"Yeah..." Kagome said tiredly. "Together, we can return the jewel into it's whole self and forever stop the battle within. Wouldn't that be nice, Inuyasha?"
"Yeah... someday Kagome... someday..." Inuyasha whispered to her.
Inuyasha stopped immediately when he detected that her scent was just across the street. He then ran really fast and he found himself in front of a small, house that resided on the beach.
'Kagome must be inside that house!' Inuyasha thought and went around the side of it and up through a window. Sure enough, there was Kagome, in nothing but a... towel?!
In the car ride to the beach, all Kagome could think about was Inuyasha. She opened the window and let her long, black hair tangle around herself with the wind. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"Hey, Mom! Are we there yet?" Souta chimed, purposely getting on his mother's nerves. A stoplight ahead turned red and the car stopped. Mrs. Higurashi turned her head and glared at Souta behind her.
"Honestly, Souta, does it look like we're there yet?" Souta shook his head. "That's what I thought. Now, don't mess with your mother." The light turned green and the silver Mercedes sped off.
"Hey, Gramps? Could you turn on the radio?" Souta asked. Grandpa pressed the small button that said radio and almost immediately the sound of hard rock echoed throughout the car. The song, "Off To Neverneverland" by Metalica came on. Souta knocked his head up and down trying to look cool.
"Can't we listen to something a little easier on the ears, hmmm?" Mrs. Higurashi asked and then turned the knob to the station 95.7 and the song "The First Cut" by Sheryl Crow came on. Mrs. Higurashi bounced her head from side to side, humming the tune, but failing miserably.
"Awe... Mom! Ewww! This is sissy music!" Souta whined. Mrs. Higurashi looked in the rearview mirror and glared at Souta again. Souta gulped.
"Yeah, and what's wrong with sissy music? Hmmm?" Souta glared back at her and the bickering began.
"Oh, please! Cathy, honestly, if you don't keep your eyes on the road, we'll get in an accident! Souta, you fight more with your mother than she does with Kagome! You're acting more like a teenage girl than she is!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Speaking of teenage girls, Kagome, what's wrong with you? You haven't said a word since the beginning of this car ride. What's the matter?" He asked her. The other two immediately stopped their fight, and cautiously peered over at Kagome.
Kagome refocused into the real world when she heard her name. She looked at all of them and shrugged. The others shrugged back. A few moments later the fight broke out again.
"I'll tell ya what's wrong with sissy music! It makes us "cool" guys look like girls if we listen to it! It's always about love, and never about cool stuff!" Souta exclaimed.
"Oh, really? What's cool stuff anyway?" Mrs. Higurashi shouted back at Souta.
Kagome sighed and unzipped her backpack, taking out her cd player. She slipped in her mix cd. It had all of her favorite songs on it. Kagome pressed the scan button until it reached song number seven, "Red Light Fever" by Liz Phair. The lyrics went though her head, each word reminding her of Inuyasha.
"Lying wide awake in the dark. Trying to figure out where you are. Always going nowhere. Afraid of going somewhere, and somewhere's a place in your heart."
Tears began welding up into her eyes. 'I can't believe him! I can't believe me! How could I possibly think he would actually like me?' She thought to herself.
"Scared the lights will turn green. You'll have to be seen. You'll be like anybody else. Scared the lights will turn red. You're stuck in your head. To scared to commit to even her. How you gonna get through the year?"
A silent tear ran down her soft, flushed cheeks and she looked out the window, wind blowing on her hot face.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was still following the scent of Kagome. As he was running, people nervously watched the silver haired dog-eared demon. Some people even fled the scene, screaming. Inuyasha didn't even notice. He stopped abruptly when he smelled her tears.
"Damn it all!" He cursed. Mothers covered their children's ears and turned away. "Why is she crying again? Awe, hell! It better not be because of me!" He began running again in search of Kagome.
"Kagome, c'mon! Wake up!" Souta shouted to his sleeping sister. Kagome's eyes fluttered open. "We're gonna miss the sunrise!" Souta took a hold of Kagome's arm and drug her out of the car. Kagome groaned but let Souta lead the way.
Once on the beach, Souta sat down along with Kagome next to their mother and grandfather. Kagome sighed tiredly and yawned. The sun was just peeping out over the horizon. Colors of pink, gold, orange, and still some black swirled over the sky and along the shadows of the rippling ocean. How Kagome longed for Inuyasha to be there with her. She thought about one time when they were watching the sunrise together, not to long ago.
They sat next to each other on the cliff side, the gold sun beaming over the horizon. Kagome turned to face Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha? May I ask you a question?" Kagome asked him.
"You just did." Inuyasha smiled at her. Kagome smiled back.
"No, seriously." Kagome asked. "Ummm... do you still plan on being a full fledged demon when the jewel is complete?" A moment of silence passed over the two as a slight gust of wind blew over their shoulders, sending their hair billowing to the side. Inuyasha looked up to the deep black of the sky above them.
"You know Kagome, I don't really think I should." He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Really? You're actually gonna give up you're dream of becoming a full demon?" Kagome pondered.
"It was never really a dream in the first place." Inuyasha opened his eyes and peered at the sun. "It was more of a priority. I thought that if I became a full demon things would be different, and people wouldn't think down on me like they would now." Kagome sat in silence.
"But then I realized..." Inuyasha stopped and looked down at Kagome and their eyes locked. "Protecting you is more of a priority than anything else. If I become a full demon, then... I may end up slaughtering you and the others. Kagome... I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you. I will always protect you." Kagome blushed up at him.
"Only because... I can see the jewel shards..." Kagome looked down to the ground. Inuyasha tenderly touched her cheek and turned her face to look back up at him.
"No, because you're my best friend, and you mean so much to me." Inuyasha whispered to her. Kagome gasped, blushing, and peered down to the ground.
Inuyasha slung his arm around her and pulled her close to his body. They embraced longer until the sunrise was complete.
Once the sunrise was over, the family trudged sleepily inside the beach house and groggily went about the rooms. Mrs. Higurashi began to make some breakfast pancakes in the kitchen as Souta loaded his video games in the living room. Grandpa went around cleaning some of the dust and dirt about the different rooms and Kagome went to take a hot bath.
Inuyasha could finally pick up the strongest scent of Kagome. It was not far away, and at least the scent of tears had decreased. Inuyasha slowed to a walking pace. He quietly thought to himself about Kagome and how much he had probably hurt her feelings. A memory of when they had once been together alone by the campfire flew across of his mind.
"You know what I think Inuyasha?" Kagome said as they both gazed into the orange fire.
"What?" Inuyasha asked her, trying to act like he wasn't interested in what she was about to say.
"I think that the waves of a fire bed are in a raging war, always fighting and competing to stay alive. Always trying to be the last flame standing. The last flame brilliantly living on and always succeeding, until the last breath they take when the night falls on them." Kagome pondered.
"Where'd you get that idea?" Inuyasha asked and raised an eyebrow.
"I don't really know. I guess it just reminded me of how there is a battle still going on inside the jewel, and how that battle will forever last just as long as the world keeps on fighting for it. Until the jewel ceases to exist." Kagome peered up at Inuyasha.
"Sure... whatever..." Inuyasha was amazed at how Kagome was so intelligent and open-minded like that. "It that it?"
"Yeah..." Kagome said tiredly. "Together, we can return the jewel into it's whole self and forever stop the battle within. Wouldn't that be nice, Inuyasha?"
"Yeah... someday Kagome... someday..." Inuyasha whispered to her.
Inuyasha stopped immediately when he detected that her scent was just across the street. He then ran really fast and he found himself in front of a small, house that resided on the beach.
'Kagome must be inside that house!' Inuyasha thought and went around the side of it and up through a window. Sure enough, there was Kagome, in nothing but a... towel?!