You never know quite what to expect when you travel time. It's always going to be just a little different.
Like today, for instance. Today, I could honestly say I was feeling no regrets. The weather was absolutely beautiful: as I opened my window and craned my head out a bit to taste the air. . . it finally tasted sweet, after all these months. It was enticingly warm and new feeling, tiny flowers blossoming on the trees, and bushes, and vines. . . . the Earth seeming to have finally broken free of its protective shell for the winter and was now finally alive again. Thankfully, since the feudal era was pretty much a mirror image of today, it was going to be sunny and warm back with Inuyasha and the others, too. As I said, no regrets. No regrets about missing school for shard hunting, no regrets about missing chores and house-hold duties for shard-hunting. The day was just too beautiful. I didn't want to waste one more minute of it.
Besides. . . I wasn't about to stick around at home for too long anyway, Inuyasha had made sure of it during my last trip. Apparently he feels that Naraku has been gaining in power and in jewel shards, that our task of shard collection was drawing to a close. . . or something like that. Whatever it had been, exactly, it had sounded pretty desperate- I'd already made plans to stay for just one weekend. No more, no less.
All right, so I did have a couple things to worry about before breezing out the door. I'd kind of regretted having to leave that particular morning. I mean, just waking up and realizing I'd overslept was going to put a damper on the day. . . rushing around to cram everything I'd need into the bag just worsened the situation. Personally, I hated having to rush in the morning. Half-brushing hair, half-eating breakfast, half-brushing teeth and dressing in the first old thing I saw, I mean. But I knew it would be worth it. It always was.
I also found myself regretting leaving my mother behind like that, too. I didn't get a great chance to see her, but she looked kind of far-away. Like something was really bothering her, almost like she was coming down with something. Shouldn't I at least be around for her when she's in a state like that? It's not like I don't feel bad about being away from the family to shard hunt. I almost never see them anymore, and I know they worry about me sometimes. Probably about the dangers of such a violent age, full of evil and war and the like. The thing is. . . while I appreciate their concern, they really don't have anything- well, they don't have much- to worry about. Compared to some of the horrors Inuyasha endured sometimes, those three scratches on my arm a couple weeks ago were nothing. Even so, it's probably one of the things that's starting to get to my mom. . . maybe I'll see if I can come home a little early this time. Hopefully unscathed, but let's not ask for miracles.
In any case, I wasn't about to let those worries (though plausibly bothersome) ruin my time in the Feudal Era. Even if I chided myself for considering it sometimes, I had to accept it. The Feudal Era was my new home; I loved it there. So I hurried out of my house and into the shrine. The Feudal Era was where I belonged. . . all my true friends waited for me there. So I leapt over the ledge and into the well. As per usual, the explosion of dancing light and the rush of air, space and time dragged me down while leaving my breath far behind. I could help but gasp in familiar enchantment. . . just as I touched down lightly to the bottom of the well. Brushing a stray lock of hair out of my face, I stood and reached for the ladder.
"Kagome?"
A grin strung itself across my face as Shippou's tinny voice shivered its way down the well. I climbed just a little faster to reach my smallest comrade.
"Kagome! It is you!" Wide, kitsune eyes and an even wider smile greeted me as I pulled myself over the ledge. Before I could even say a hello, Shippou had launched himself at me.
"Where have you been? Taking more exams? How come you were gone so long this time, Kagome?" The ball of fur attached to my shoulder inquired in a rush. All I could do was give a short laugh and squeeze the kitsune back briefly.
"No, this time I had to go back for a friend's birthday party, then I had to get in some more studying." I resituated Shippou before he started actually digging into my arm. "And do you really think I was gone that long? It was just a long weekend. . ."
"Well, somebody sure made it seem too long." Shippou glanced over his shoulder, looking peeved at whatever he saw. I followed his gaze, over the hill and just barely into the forest. . . only to suffer that familiar flutter in the pit of my stomach and sudden heat in my face.
Inuyasha was skulking out of the forest, seeming to simply be wandering until he was caught unawares by Shippou and me. Even from that distance, I knew we locked eyes for just a second . . . before I looked away for an instant and before he started jogging towards us. Crimson robes billowing out behind him. Hair swishing this way and that. Face so intense, no matter how unclear it was. Build at the perfect equilibrium between muscular and slim. . . .
I mentally slapped myself in the face, letting my gaze slide back to a closer neutral point. I had to stop doing this, stop admiring from afar. Literally, this time. I mean, if Shippou didn't already have a clue what was going on, I probably would have appeared pretty strange to him. But I'm pretty sure he already knew; Sango already knew, and it had surely been the first correct assumption Miroku, for one, had ever made. He'd probably known it even before I had, but that's not the point.
I was in love with Inuyasha.
"Well, you're late again, wench." I jerked my face up to see Inuyasha jog into place beside us, scowling in his trade-mark annoyance. I rolled my eyes inwardly. Yes, I was in love with him. Even if that was a little shameful sometimes. He was just such a big, dumb jerk when he wanted to be. Now, being a good example.
"Actually, Inuyasha. . . if I recall the date we'd decided upon, and what day that had been. . . well, I'm right on time," I huffed, raising and eyebrow but retaining emotionless dignity. He growled softly, growing steadily angrier. So I returned to my argument before things got noisy.
"Look, I left on Friday, remember?" I stated as he turned on heel away from me. "I told you it was Friday. And then you said I had three days to get back here. And today's Monday, so I kept my promise. Friday, Saturday, Sunday."
"And what the hell's any of that supposed to mean?" he roared, whipping around to scowl at me. "Fry--- Sat--- you're just making up stuff to sound like you're right!"
I was about to interject, but Shippou did so for me. "I counted, Inuyasha. It's been three moons since she left, and you know it. Or maybe you've just been moping so much that you lost track of it."
Inuyasha's face flushed in embarrassment and anger. "You're going to regret that, you-" He leapt at the frightened kitsune, claws flexed at the ready. Not a second too soon, I dropped the squealing Shippou so he could scamper to safety, then shielded him from Inuyasha with a quick side-step and a stern stare.
"Don't get him involved, Inuyasha. He's just a kid."
"Keh," he muttered with a grimace, rounding on me in turn. He gnawed his angry eyes into mine, fighting to find a retort for me. We both lost track of the argument for a moment. I hated to admit it, but God, those were beautiful eyes. . . amazingly expressive, though now so fiery. . . beautiful, melted amber hue. . . I noticed his expression began to melt as he obviously detected the love in my eyes. I looked away quickly. Well, so much for keeping it well-hidden.
"So, we're okay now?" I asked tentatively, stepping away to lean on the well. "I'm here now. No need to get all weird on me." I peered at him. "Okay?"
"Yeah, okay." I was slightly comforted to know he felt just as awkward as I did with this moment. "Look, Kagome, I-" Without warning, he cut himself off. In a flash, Inuyasha's expression plummeted into one of horror and concentration. His nose twitched as he, apparently, fought to pick up a scent.
I peered at him uncertainly. "I-Inuyasha, what are you-" He cut me off with a sweep of his hand. Face tensed, he whipped around towards the distant forest, searching this way and that for a scent. I felt pretty on-edge myself: this ritual of sorts was always so dramatic and pain-staking, I couldn't help it. He took one final sniff before winging around to face me for a second, his face more intense than ever.
"There's youkai close. Real close. And loads of them. So come on, we don't have any time to lose." He turned his back to me and bent over slightly- so, as per usual, I leapt up onto him and secured my arms around his shoulders. But for some reason, Inuyasha remained stooped for a second more before whipping around and giving me an incredibly irritated look. Normally this would intimidate me enough to step away, but frankly, I was a little shocked to find myself face to face to the hanyou with my arms locked around him. Too bad he shoved me away just a split second later.
"Wench, what do you think you're doing?" He erupted, stooping again to- I gulped- finish unsheathing the Tetsusaiga and turn back to the trees. I felt myself blushing. What kind of an idiot was I? He'd already made it pretty clear there was no time for something like travel! We'd probably have to fight from right here! How could I have possibly not gotten that?
But wait. . . if we had to fight from right here. . . then. . .
"What is wrong with you today, Kagome?!" He roared, snatching a last glance at me. "String your bow! As fast as you can! What have you been-"
But with a sudden explosion from deep inside the thicket, an overwhelming score of demon rushed out of the forest. And straight at us. The color flew from my face as I fumbled desperately for an arrow- but I knew it was all too late as something quite heavy smashed into me. I slapped my eyes shut, praying an eternity of prayers in the second I was airborne- before I was dropped almost gently to the earth near the well. I blinked and shoved myself into a sitting position- just to witness Inuyasha curse under his breath and charge back into the montage. "Just stay there, Kagome!" He threw over his shoulder. I obliged, still shaking. . . but strung an arrow in my bow just for extra protection.
It didn't seem to be necessary, though, as I watched the hanyou from my distance. He launched into battle with a huge leap, sword high over his head, then slammed down onto a serpent-like youkai. Even from the distance, I could hear its last shriek and see its huge dollop of black blood splatter the ground. I winced, but the battle wasn't about to wait for me. With a yell, Inuyasha darted out of a huge, mammalian youkai's way as it charged out of the now-shambled thicket. He was stooped on the ground for a second, then ran to catch it up and teach it a lesson. But something was already on his tail, something large and airborne and way behind his eyeshot. . .
"Inuyasha, look out!" I shrieked as loudly as I could. He whipped around to face me, so oblivious to the danger: not a second too soon, I thrust a pointed finger behind him. He threw himself around just as the youkai barreled forth. With a shout, he ducked as fast as he could- but just as soon as the enormous creature had swooped on, he jumped up and gave chase. Thankfully, though, he realized that this particular youkai was not the only one that was trying to get under his skin: hundreds of others were also teeming around him. Hissing, writhing, yelping, drooling, clawing. . . he jumped back, far onto the field. The youkai tore after him savagely. Inuyasha took a running start to greet them, sword high over his head, then plunged it into the ground with a cry of the wind scar. It was all too effective: as the Kaze no Kizu tore through the earth and exploded into the knot of demons, too many deafening shrieks arose to suggest any survival. Heads, limbs and occasional organs flew from the montage and scattered onto the ground, leaving the battlefield silent and nearly peaceful. Inuyasha surveyed his damage wordlessly, slowly sheathing the Tetsusaiga. I ran onto the field and straight to the hanyou, leaving my now-useless bow by the well.
"That was great, Inuyasha!" I beamed at him, fighting the urge to just throw my arms around him in proper congratulations. He returned the smile sheepishly, just barely glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "It was nothing new," he muttered. Which just made me grin a little more. For such a big tough guy fighter jerk, he was pretty cute when he was shy.
Kind of short chapter. . . still, unfortunately, no huge cliff-hangers for you. But many to come. The chapters shall be like this throughout; some Kagome, some her mother. . . I'm not going to pretend to be consistent about it. As long as it's not confusing, that is.
Anyways, I didn't intend to take that long for an update. . . but the next one will be up much sooner! Many thanks to those who have reviewed- may I remind you that reviews compel me to write?