It was raining. The clouds that had looked so unpromising the day before
decidedly released their wrath upon the ground below. At first it was a
light sort of spit-drizzle, but that did not last long. Before little time
at all the raindrops were big enough and fast enough to be mistaken for
stones falling from the sky. Each and every drop bombarded against
everything with a terrible fury.
Lightning and thunder began before too long, shaking the air and sending blinding flashes through the forest. If the going had been tough before, it was much worse now; Kagome could barely see. Moving forward at all was blind guesswork. Her arms and legs were covered with small cuts from leaves and mud from the endless puddles, and her knees and elbows were sore from being fallen on too many times. She felt light-headed and dizzy, in a nearly dream-like state as she tromped forward.
But still she kept going. Almost mechanically, unknowingly, her feet placed themselves in front of one another and then behind again. The footfalls were not steady at all; her knees shook, tired of supporting her weight, and ever step brought her ankle-deep in puddles and mud. It seemed hopeless, but Kagome wasn't thinking any more. All her will was focused on the task of walking. It seemed the only thing worth doing at all.
'The end must be coming,' Kagome thought blankly, surprised to find that the thought didn't bother her anymore. 'How much time have I got....three days? One day?' She couldn't remember, but anyway, that wasn't important anymore. 'Just a bit further....'
Staggering along, her foot caught the unburied root of a large tree. Kagome went sprawling forward, arms too limp and cold to try to catch her weight. She rolled down a hill she hadn't realized was there, splashing through puddles and mud and sticks that were protruding at odd angles. Her world was spinning madly; there was no direction, no color, just wetness and coldness and the deafening sound of thunder in her ears—she wished it would end, wished it would stop—
And then, she was still. Lying on her back in what she could only distinguish as a muddy place, Kagome tried to gain her bearings again. Though she had stopped spinning, her head had not—it was still in a sense of disarray. Raindrops were pounding on her face and in her mouth and eyes—she couldn't see, except for the flashes of light that were visible through her eyelids. Her left ankle, the one that had gotten caught before, was aching, and there appeared to be a rather deep cut on one of her shoulders. It was bleeding feely.
But the only thing she could concentrate on was the whirling of her head. Why wouldn't her thoughts steady? Why couldn't she think?
'It's because....I'm dying....'
The doctors could've been wrong by one day. It certainly wasn't above them, as they couldn't even really tell her what it was. She could've had nine days all along, and this was her last.... 'As long as it's finished,' Kagome thought, 'I don't care. Let me die here before anyone finds me....Just let it be over....' And her eyes closed then, shutting out the rain and the mud and everything else she didn't care was there....
"Kagome."
What was that? A voice?
"Kagome."
It was a familiar voice. Her father? Was that possible?
"Kagome....open your eyes, darling."
Kagome obeyed reluctantly, blinking and looking around blearily. The thunder seemed to have shrunk down to a docile murmur, and the lightning had become a permanent, bright light. There was the beautiful singing she had heard in her dream that day she'd made daisy chains with Shippo, and a person was approaching....who? Her was tall, and slender.... The figure knelt beside her in the mud. Kagome forced her eyes to focus.
"T-tousan?" Her father smiled. He was dressed, no longer in his business suit, but in a robe of shining white that the mud and rain couldn't seem to touch. His face was benignly calm, with his eyes twinkling and his mouth curved into a happy smile. "Have you....come to take me with you, tousan?"
"No, Kagome."
'No?'
"I've come to tell you....don't give up yet."
"Don't....give up? But, tousan....I'm....I'm dying...."
"Yes, love, I know." Her father, leaned a bit closer. She could see his face so plainly....he was close enough to touch, but her arms would not obey. "But you mustn't give up. It's not your time, Kagome. You're too young. Hold on a bit longer, and everything'll be okay."
How would it be okay? She was going to die from a mysterious disease. What could she do about it?
"T-tousan....I'm tired...."
"I know. You must fight it as long as you can."
"Why?" Kagome's eyelids were so heavy....she wished just to close them, but didn't dare, for fear her father would disappear. She didn't want him to leave again.
"Trust me, Kagome. You have to keep awake." A brighter spark of light flashed behind him, and her father glanced back. Turning back to Kagome a moment later, he smiled as he had when she was little. "I have to go now, Kagome. Someone else is coming to talk to you." Began to stand.
"Wait....d-don't leave me, daddy." She reached up then and caught his sleeve. It was the softest thing she'd ever felt, and it was warm....Her father's warm hand met hers as he knelt beside her once more, patiently. Setting her hand down and kissing her cheek, he murmured, "I have to go, love. I love you."
"I've m-missed you," Kagome said, staring into his face blearily. "Souta misses you t-too....and m-mama...."
"And I miss you all," her father answered lovingly, touching her hand once more as he stood. "I love you, Kagome. Please, don't give up." And before she could stop him, he was gone, into a burst of light. Kagome expected it to be over, but the singing didn't cease. She closed her eyes, savoring the beautiful noise and wishing sleep to come.....
"Kagome...."
Again, there was a voice. This one was not familiar. It was a woman's voice—soft and mild and comforting as the singing was. Opening her eyes once more, slowly, Kagome was aware of two new figures kneeling by her side. One was a woman, obviously the one whose voice she had heard; she was beautiful, and familiar looking with her silky black hair cascading down her shoulders and her shining indigo eyes.... The other person was a man. He also looked somewhat familiar. His hair was a silvery, sparkling color, and his eyes were deep amber....
And then she realized who they were.
Inuyasha's parents.
Both of them waited patiently beside her. The lady stroked her arm with one hand and held her husband's with the other, smiling warmly. Kagome found speech rather difficult; she had never imagined meeting either of them. At one glance she could see that Myouga's stories of Inuyasha's father had been true. His features were soft and noble, but she could sense, as with Inuyasha, a power lying beneath the surface of those beautiful eyes. Inuyasha's mother was soft-featured and patient; obviously, a wonderful, caring mother.
But why were they there?
"Y-you're.....you're Inuyasha's parents...." She sounded surprisingly wispy.
"Yes," the woman answered quietly. Kagome smiled, feeling calmer by the moment.
"And you....c-came to see me?" They nodded. "Wh-why?"
"For the same reason your father did," the youkai answered. His voice, deep and powerful, was toned down to a mellow sound. She saw now where Sesshomaru had inherited his calmness. But this man had no aloofness about him. "To tell you not to give in just yet."
"You must wait just a little longer, Kagome-chan," Inuyasha's mother continued for him, her hand becoming still on her arm. "Help is on the way, but it will not do you any good if you allow yourself to be taken now."
"Who's c-coming?" Kagome asked laboriously, forcing her eyes open for the hundredth time in so many minutes. The two spirits exchanged glances but said nothing for the longest time.
She was so tired.....
It was the silver-haired inu-youkai that spoke, his voice sounding faraway, just as her eyes closed for one last time.
"He will be here soon. Hold on."
@-}--------------
It was raining enough to flood an entire village, but Inuyasha was not about to give up. Kagome had little more than a day left....and he had little more than a day left to find and help her. He moved so fast that mud was flying from under his feet like fireworks, in all possibly directions. As he turned one corner and jumped another hole, a thorny branch caught his sleeve, ripping a hole and cutting deep into his arm.
"Sh*t," he muttered angrily under his breath, pressing a hand to stop the flow of blood that rushed forth. He was getting more and more frustrated by the moment; the forest had suddenly gotten so thick that he couldn't see, and there were more holes and trenches here than there had been. As he forced himself forward, the branches clawing at his arms, he caught a faint scent amongst the rain.
It was blood.
Lightning and thunder began before too long, shaking the air and sending blinding flashes through the forest. If the going had been tough before, it was much worse now; Kagome could barely see. Moving forward at all was blind guesswork. Her arms and legs were covered with small cuts from leaves and mud from the endless puddles, and her knees and elbows were sore from being fallen on too many times. She felt light-headed and dizzy, in a nearly dream-like state as she tromped forward.
But still she kept going. Almost mechanically, unknowingly, her feet placed themselves in front of one another and then behind again. The footfalls were not steady at all; her knees shook, tired of supporting her weight, and ever step brought her ankle-deep in puddles and mud. It seemed hopeless, but Kagome wasn't thinking any more. All her will was focused on the task of walking. It seemed the only thing worth doing at all.
'The end must be coming,' Kagome thought blankly, surprised to find that the thought didn't bother her anymore. 'How much time have I got....three days? One day?' She couldn't remember, but anyway, that wasn't important anymore. 'Just a bit further....'
Staggering along, her foot caught the unburied root of a large tree. Kagome went sprawling forward, arms too limp and cold to try to catch her weight. She rolled down a hill she hadn't realized was there, splashing through puddles and mud and sticks that were protruding at odd angles. Her world was spinning madly; there was no direction, no color, just wetness and coldness and the deafening sound of thunder in her ears—she wished it would end, wished it would stop—
And then, she was still. Lying on her back in what she could only distinguish as a muddy place, Kagome tried to gain her bearings again. Though she had stopped spinning, her head had not—it was still in a sense of disarray. Raindrops were pounding on her face and in her mouth and eyes—she couldn't see, except for the flashes of light that were visible through her eyelids. Her left ankle, the one that had gotten caught before, was aching, and there appeared to be a rather deep cut on one of her shoulders. It was bleeding feely.
But the only thing she could concentrate on was the whirling of her head. Why wouldn't her thoughts steady? Why couldn't she think?
'It's because....I'm dying....'
The doctors could've been wrong by one day. It certainly wasn't above them, as they couldn't even really tell her what it was. She could've had nine days all along, and this was her last.... 'As long as it's finished,' Kagome thought, 'I don't care. Let me die here before anyone finds me....Just let it be over....' And her eyes closed then, shutting out the rain and the mud and everything else she didn't care was there....
"Kagome."
What was that? A voice?
"Kagome."
It was a familiar voice. Her father? Was that possible?
"Kagome....open your eyes, darling."
Kagome obeyed reluctantly, blinking and looking around blearily. The thunder seemed to have shrunk down to a docile murmur, and the lightning had become a permanent, bright light. There was the beautiful singing she had heard in her dream that day she'd made daisy chains with Shippo, and a person was approaching....who? Her was tall, and slender.... The figure knelt beside her in the mud. Kagome forced her eyes to focus.
"T-tousan?" Her father smiled. He was dressed, no longer in his business suit, but in a robe of shining white that the mud and rain couldn't seem to touch. His face was benignly calm, with his eyes twinkling and his mouth curved into a happy smile. "Have you....come to take me with you, tousan?"
"No, Kagome."
'No?'
"I've come to tell you....don't give up yet."
"Don't....give up? But, tousan....I'm....I'm dying...."
"Yes, love, I know." Her father, leaned a bit closer. She could see his face so plainly....he was close enough to touch, but her arms would not obey. "But you mustn't give up. It's not your time, Kagome. You're too young. Hold on a bit longer, and everything'll be okay."
How would it be okay? She was going to die from a mysterious disease. What could she do about it?
"T-tousan....I'm tired...."
"I know. You must fight it as long as you can."
"Why?" Kagome's eyelids were so heavy....she wished just to close them, but didn't dare, for fear her father would disappear. She didn't want him to leave again.
"Trust me, Kagome. You have to keep awake." A brighter spark of light flashed behind him, and her father glanced back. Turning back to Kagome a moment later, he smiled as he had when she was little. "I have to go now, Kagome. Someone else is coming to talk to you." Began to stand.
"Wait....d-don't leave me, daddy." She reached up then and caught his sleeve. It was the softest thing she'd ever felt, and it was warm....Her father's warm hand met hers as he knelt beside her once more, patiently. Setting her hand down and kissing her cheek, he murmured, "I have to go, love. I love you."
"I've m-missed you," Kagome said, staring into his face blearily. "Souta misses you t-too....and m-mama...."
"And I miss you all," her father answered lovingly, touching her hand once more as he stood. "I love you, Kagome. Please, don't give up." And before she could stop him, he was gone, into a burst of light. Kagome expected it to be over, but the singing didn't cease. She closed her eyes, savoring the beautiful noise and wishing sleep to come.....
"Kagome...."
Again, there was a voice. This one was not familiar. It was a woman's voice—soft and mild and comforting as the singing was. Opening her eyes once more, slowly, Kagome was aware of two new figures kneeling by her side. One was a woman, obviously the one whose voice she had heard; she was beautiful, and familiar looking with her silky black hair cascading down her shoulders and her shining indigo eyes.... The other person was a man. He also looked somewhat familiar. His hair was a silvery, sparkling color, and his eyes were deep amber....
And then she realized who they were.
Inuyasha's parents.
Both of them waited patiently beside her. The lady stroked her arm with one hand and held her husband's with the other, smiling warmly. Kagome found speech rather difficult; she had never imagined meeting either of them. At one glance she could see that Myouga's stories of Inuyasha's father had been true. His features were soft and noble, but she could sense, as with Inuyasha, a power lying beneath the surface of those beautiful eyes. Inuyasha's mother was soft-featured and patient; obviously, a wonderful, caring mother.
But why were they there?
"Y-you're.....you're Inuyasha's parents...." She sounded surprisingly wispy.
"Yes," the woman answered quietly. Kagome smiled, feeling calmer by the moment.
"And you....c-came to see me?" They nodded. "Wh-why?"
"For the same reason your father did," the youkai answered. His voice, deep and powerful, was toned down to a mellow sound. She saw now where Sesshomaru had inherited his calmness. But this man had no aloofness about him. "To tell you not to give in just yet."
"You must wait just a little longer, Kagome-chan," Inuyasha's mother continued for him, her hand becoming still on her arm. "Help is on the way, but it will not do you any good if you allow yourself to be taken now."
"Who's c-coming?" Kagome asked laboriously, forcing her eyes open for the hundredth time in so many minutes. The two spirits exchanged glances but said nothing for the longest time.
She was so tired.....
It was the silver-haired inu-youkai that spoke, his voice sounding faraway, just as her eyes closed for one last time.
"He will be here soon. Hold on."
@-}--------------
It was raining enough to flood an entire village, but Inuyasha was not about to give up. Kagome had little more than a day left....and he had little more than a day left to find and help her. He moved so fast that mud was flying from under his feet like fireworks, in all possibly directions. As he turned one corner and jumped another hole, a thorny branch caught his sleeve, ripping a hole and cutting deep into his arm.
"Sh*t," he muttered angrily under his breath, pressing a hand to stop the flow of blood that rushed forth. He was getting more and more frustrated by the moment; the forest had suddenly gotten so thick that he couldn't see, and there were more holes and trenches here than there had been. As he forced himself forward, the branches clawing at his arms, he caught a faint scent amongst the rain.
It was blood.