Disclaimers—I don't own Inuyasha or its characters, though I am using them for non-profitable entertainment purposes.
Warning—None
Author's Note—Reviews are always appreciated and wanted. An ego boost is just what I need. Or you flame me—whatever. Just enjoy.
-Chapter 1: Reunion of Friends-
It was a cold and windy day; the clouds hindered with rain hovered overhead, threatening to let out a flood of water at a moment's notice. Not paying much attention to the state of the sky, Kagome looked half-heartedly down at the graves that rest under the God tree. She said nothing as a soft breeze ran through her raven hair. It had been 10, long years since she had come back to her home and her time. Living alone after her mother and brother were killed in a car accident, and her grandfather shortly after by old age, she had gotten along, not seeing any reason to leave the place she had always called home. Her eyes drifted up slightly while growing moist, though she shook it off, turning her back towards the graves.
She had gone to college, pushing herself to be the best she could in her studies; she had passed with flying colors. Living comfortably as a writer, she would stay at home a good bit. Her friends had all left for new opportunities, some in America and parts of Europe. For the most part, she kept to herself, not having many obligations for others and not having anyone to really get in touch with. Though she was accomplished and had made it into an adult life, even with all the distractions of going back and forth from Feudal Japan, she now lived a life of isolation. For years, she had tried to forget about her friends—forget about Inuyasha—though she couldn't.
Wiping away a stray tear that had started to make its way down her cheek, she began to walk back to the house, her head downcast and her mind fogged over with memories of the past and faces that she feared she would never see again.
--
An average sized kitsune walked through the rain, his cool, jade eyes scouting out any type of herbs he could pick out. Laughing softly, he rushed over and pulled several herbs from the ground, one by one; in his lessons with the old village priestess, he knew they were for canceling out pain and fever. Feeling quite accomplished, the kitsune walked back to the village with his arms full and a smile on his face, chestnut bangs falling over his eyes.
"Shippo! Did you find any herbs?" asked Sango, a worried and weary expression taking hold of her features.
"Of course! I can handle it. Here ya' go!" Shippo, now almost as tall as Sango, stood calmly before her, his once bushy tail, now split into two that swayed back and forth behind him. Slowly depositing the herbs into her arms, he let a sad smile reach his calm eyes. "Is Kaede going to be alright?"
Sango mirrored the sadness in Shippo's gaze, though she did her best to mask it before whispering, "I hope so—I think all we'll really need to do is bring down her fever and then she'll be fine." Walking back to the village, they both kept quiet, trying to just take in the peace of the moment. As they neared Kaede's hut, Sango whispered, "We could probably use Miroku's help right about now…"
"But he won't be coming back for another few months…remember? But I'm sure he'd be here if he knew we needed him."
"I know, Shippo. I know."
Shippo sighed, knowing full well that she wanted the emotional support—someone that she could have to comfort her. Both Miroku and Sango had grown closer in the past few years, finding comfort within one another, and even loving each other—even though they haven't said it aloud as of yet. Though, Miroku had left three months before to travel from village to village, performing exorcisms and the like.
Even though Shippo, Miroku, and Sango were a small group, they held together like family—both Miroku and Sango taking it on themselves to raise the kitsune and even teaching him a few useful tips here and there—though Sango disapproved of the hentai's lessons on how to find women. Regardless that they acted like a close family, it would never be whole without Inuyasha and Kagome. They knew that, but they tried to push it to the back of their minds as though it didn't matter and as though they could go on as they were, without the two lost pieces of the puzzle.
--
Rushed feet fell harshly to the forest floor as an orange blur rushed past any eyes that may have seen. A laugh was heard as the figure slid to a stop. Seeming to be much more than human, the female held a half globed jewel in her clawed hand. The partially broken jewel shimmered with a dull pink haze, a strong energy coming from it—the energy illuminating her hand.
"She ran this way!" cried a villager as he rushed through the trees. He stopped as he neared the demon, suddenly gaining an acute case of cold feet as he stared at the blood stained claws of the beast. Others followed shortly after, one raising a bow and arrow.
"Foolish humans!" A demonic shriek cut through the air, the arrow flying to meet its target—the demon's heart. It hit perfectly, the demon's eyes freezing before she could even pose a real threat. Stumbling back slowly, the creature fell into an open well, still grasping to the jewel. A lifeless thud accompanied her fall, leaving the villagers to return back to their home.
--
Just as she was making her way back to the house, Kagome's gaze fell sharply to the shrine holding the bone-eaters well. A loud crash echoed through her ears; she hesitantly deciding to go over and investigate. Stepping past the door, a memory flashed in her mind's eye of when she stepped into the shrine the first time before she met Inuyasha, her brother standing at the side. "Souta…" she whispered, though fell silent as she walked down the stairs. Leaning over the side of the well, she pulled the wooden cover from it and looked down into the darkness. The room was illuminated with a flash of lightning, followed by a roar of thunder, causing the small, wooden shrine to shake and vibrate.
She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands clutched violently to the side of the well; she hated thunderstorms. Finally opening her eyes again, she looked down into the depths of the well, trying to see if anything were there. She didn't see movement of any kind, though she could have sworn she saw something shimmer in the depths. Throwing her legs over the side of the well, she was just about to jump in when the memory of when she left Inuyasha hit her. Her eyes welled with tears at the forgotten memory, which was only now reawakened after the years.
Biting her lip harshly, she slipped down into the well before a blinding light seemed to show in front of her. Letting out a shrill yelp, she fell and landed rather ungracefully to the floor. She groaned softly before pushing herself away from the damp ground. Drops of water fell over her head as she looked around in surprise. Her eyes slowly shifted up to see an exposed sky just outside the well, causing her breath to catch in her throat. Am I back?
Her hand absently ran across the stone of the well before running over a vine. She grasped it tightly before hoisting herself out, trying not to notice that her gray blouse and blue jeans were stained with mud. In the sheer shock of the whole situation, she didn't catch the glimpse of a large part of the Shinkon no Tama sitting at the bottom of the well, still clutched in the decaying demon's hand. Her calm, auburn eyes drifted over the area as she slowly found herself walking back towards Kaede's village, still remembering the exact spot the village rest.
From off in the distance, a loud, "Who's there?" rang through the empty field she was wading through, causing her eyes to cast around slowly. Standing behind a tree stood a figure, though it was in complete shadow. However, given the voice, it could easily be told that it was a male and he was of a young age.
Kagome took a moment before speaking, seeming nervous as to where she was and whom it may have been that called out to her. "Show yourself and I'll tell you."
Shippo slipped out from behind the tree hesitantly, his eyes growing wide as he stared at the familiar face. "Kagome…?" His eyes grew moist as he let out an enthusiastic cry before running up to the grown woman, his arms wrapping tightly about her shoulders.
The astonished miko stood perfectly still, staring down at the figure that had grown so much in the past few years—she could still recall him sitting happily in the basket of her bike on more than one adventure. She was speechless as he held to her, her own eyes growing moist as she held back a sob. A wave of happiness hit her as the young kitsune embraced her. It was only then, that she remembered how much she had missed him—though she always knew she had missed them all to a point. No one else had ever gotten so deeply into her heart as they.
As they embraced each other, another voice rang over the near barren field, calling out, "Shippo? Where did you get to?" Sango shortly after emerged as well, freezing where she stood to gaze upon her old friend. "Kagome!" Both the grown women went hysterical at the sight of one another, overjoyed at their meeting. Sango ran up hurriedly, joining the group with their enthusiastic hugs. All of them were in a state of awe and joy at the reunion of old friends.
--
Fire's Tempest: Sorry I ended it there, but I was starting to trip on the plot and I wanted to update with a chapter. I hope you enjoyed it though.
Inuyasha: How could they enjoy it? I wasn't in it.
Fire's Tempest: You want to be in it? Fine—I'll put you in it…-goes back to her evil plotting-
Inuyasha grumbles before mumbling, "Please review and keep the wench happy."