Sunlight was not welcomed in the blissful, comforting dark surrounding her. The dreams finally stopped, but that only meant consciousness was fastly approaching. She didn't want to wake up yet, now able to sleep in until wanted for once, and squeezed eyes against the glare easily coming through shoji.
It was so nice and warm under the blanket. The futon mattress kept a lot of the cold out from the floor, but her shoulders were bare and her nose was cold. She snuggled closer to the prime source of heat and was almost immediately, but gently, moved back an inch or two. With a small grunt at being kept away, she inched forward again to have the same thing happen. Finally, brown fluttered open in bemusement and stared at something she eventually recognized as Inaki's chest.
"What..." Sleepy brown met brown as she blinked in confusion. "What are you doing?" Inaki was pushing her back? Why??
He leaned forward and gave a light kiss to her forehead, brushing bangs away to see her face. "I WAS trying to watch you sleep, but you kept moving forward and I couldn't see."
She sat up and yawned, arms stretching. "Why were you watching me sleep? How long were you doing so?"
He looked to closed window and rolled into crisp air from warm covers to stand. "I'd say since light started coming into the room. I don't see a clock in here and I didn't have my watch on."
She gave him an odd look and experimented with sticking bare feet from the blankets. She yelped and stuck them back in and pulled most of the cotton over her head. "Wake me when it warms up." She whined, scrunching up to conserve heat.
He scoffed in amusement and lightly kicked what felt like her butt underneath. "Get up you; the day's passing us by and you're being a baby about a little frosty weather."
She pouted and shot him a light glare from a crack in the cocoon. "So sayeth the hanyou who probably spent much of his life in every kind of weather imaginable!"
He grinned and kneeled above her head. Hand grabbed blanket and threw it aside, letting it stop near a side wall. He ignored her yelp and complaining, also rolling away when she made to swat him. "Up! If you'd like, I can help raise your temperature so you're a little more comfortable..."
Brown widened and her body started humming. The feel of last night surfaced quite clearly and low in her stomach started pulsing. Teeth grasped her lip as she stared, seriously considering it. But cold was a pretty good dampener and she sat up a tad disgruntled. "No...I'm already all gross from last night as is - I need a bath. Don't need it twice."
He sighed in small disappointment and moved to the window and threw it open, bringing in a blast of frigid air. He inhaled in appreciation, such cold temperatures an interesting change from Florida. He leaned on the sill and listened to feet quietly pad his direction, arms soon resting against his back. He gave the view a dry look as she practically draped herself over him, rather arousingly at that. As much as he'd love to take her again, room service would probably be up and about soon. "Why don't you get off me and we'll go find a bath house in this place."
She pushed off and made for the suitcases and her things. "That's quite a thing of the past you know. This isn't the Heisei Jidai."
"It's also not Sengoku, but Kagome still had them. Let's just scout the place out and explore - if anything we only waste breakfast time."
She decided not to take anything yet and end up lugging that everywhere before a bath could be found. It was kind of unnecessary because the modern hotel rooms had a full bathroom attached right in the room. It was interesting that theirs did not, but that made it no less fun. Of course there was a closet-sized room for the toilet and sink, but that was it.
The lobby and check-in area was quite beautiful in the morning. The darkness of marble did nothing to hinder its simplistic beauty. She pulled Inaki aside to ask the front attendants - feeling kind of funny at being the resident instead of hotel worker - which he grumbled only mildly about. It took them less time that way, even if exploring sounded fun. They didn't go far, but also had all week to explore if they were bored and there would definitely be extra time lying around.
They stopped at the room to grab bath items and put the futon away. She didn't want to be so messy and the hotel staff didn't need to do so when they were perfectly capable. They headed to a pair of public baths right next to each other. She didn't promise Inaki she'd be done anytime soon and to take his time. He whined about Kagome's long bathing habits, but she waved him off and headed inside.
It was odd to cleanse herself the way Kagome used to. She felt rather exposed in the small tiled room of showerheads. There was no one in the area, but she was a little uneasy at the thought of being naked in the presence of other women. 'Suck it up - use Kagome's emotions to get you through.'
It wasn't the thought of being totally naked as it was being a foreigner and being totally naked. The natives were going to judge her and maybe even talk about her thinking she didn't understand. She hoped it didn't come to that...or if no one came in she could skip all that and bathe in peace.
She got a quick scrub down, making sure to rinse all soap good before grabbing everything and heading for the tubs around the other wall. They were as tall as she remembered general Japanese tubs being. The half dozen were tile-lined. In fact, so were the walls, floor, and ceiling where water would drip. She set everything next to the tub and wrapped hair in a towel to keep strands from falling in. After all, water was changed only when the tub was cleaned and she wouldn't want to touch someone else's hair floating around.
It took a bit to adjust to nearly scalding temperatures, but Kagome helped with that and soon she seeped up to her neck. Such high heat wouldn't allow her to be in long without accelerated heart rates and blood pressure, so best to enjoy it while she could.
-----
"You take too damn long. Always have." He groaned, towel drying his mane. He soaked as long as thought necessary and took extra time getting dressed. Even with all that slowing down, he was still forced to wait. He would've ventured a peek around the corner - it DID seem pretty quiet in there after all - to see if she was there, but didn't want his head taken off and get thrown out for being a perv. There were no other people passing by for him to ask if they could see what K was up to, so he set about working on his hair since it would take a bit anyway.
She shrugged and stopped the brush going through her hair. "I warned you, didn't I? Now I'm hungry from all that hot water speeding up my system - let's go find someplace for breakfast."
Brown spared a glance as he followed her back. She didn't seem that nervous, or much of anything really. There was a pleasant look on her face; anything bad or negative was absent. He was a little concerned about her stuffing such powerful emotions somewhere where she wouldn't deal with them, but maybe she was simply putting it off to deal with later. He didn't break down until outside the doors at hisobosan's funeral, so he could see what she was doing at least.
It would be easy to watch for signs of emotional unrest and upset. He would be sure to stick a little closer and be more sensitive when that time came. The thought of her suffering through this, though he could understand the reasons, made him want to hide her from it all. But it was necessary and all he could do was be there. He hated feeling so powerless - even as a human - and wished there was more he could do.
Hopefully when the moment of truth came, she would lean toward him instead of taking it all in on her own.
----------------------------------------------
They got so many good food stand and restaurant choices when they asked; she decided to pick the one closest to the hotel to save train money. They had to get up to the shrine's prefecture and unless they wanted to walk it, which would take hours probably, it was best to save money.
They COULD walk all that way up and stop for lunch on the way, but she didn't know the city anymore than Inaki did. It could be a lot more dangerous if some wandering youkai attacked - she would still be seen as a threat, being miko and all - and was almost ill at the thought of Inaki fighting to keep her safe. He had no powers and would never have Inuyasha's anymore and she had no bow. His martial arts would do no good against the magic of youkai. Not to mention human robbers.
She didn't tell him that though. His pride and maleness would demand they ignore all modern forms of transportation and head up the extremely long way. She also didn't feel like walking the time it would take because exhaustion was not on her to-do list today either.
It was so nostalgic to eat at a noodle stand. She got more foreigner treatment from those eating with them. Many tried out their English on her and some showed visible disappointment when she answered in Japanese. She humored them though, praising those in English on their fluency and making small talk in American dialect.
It was kind of funny. She was a little embarrassed at the attention everyone gave. They were all friendly enough, but even if they said foreigners often came to Tokyo, she felt they gawked at her a little. The questions about where she lived and the United States in general didn't cease until some got their food.
Not many gave Inaki a second glance except to ask about his family and when they ended up living where they did. He seemed a little disgruntled at so many asking personal questions about his life, but she knew that was Inuyasha's dislike to giving information. Certainly these people were mere humans since she felt nothing intimidating and managed to communicate that with Inaki to relax him.
They ended up at the train station almost around lunch by the time they left the noodle stand. The ride was another reminiscence and she took in as much of the city speeding by as possible. She was a little nervous that they almost reached their destination - her fidgeting was proof of that - but her stomach was verbally demanding to be fed and she blushed more than once at the amused looks sent her way from those they walked past.
They stopped at the edge of her neighborhood in a small restaurant, ordering bento. She toyed with some food, teeth mercilessly reddening her lip.
"You're going to make yourself bleed if you don't stop that, then people will wonder what I did to you."
She jerked to attention and looked up from the black and red box, dumbly blinking. Shunted eyes looked back down and she tapped chopsticks against a plastic divider. "I - I can't help it... I don't know what awaits me. Who will I meet? What's going to happen? I know I can't say anything of who I REALLY am or that I'm simply a distant relative. No one would believe me." Her eyes misted. "As much as I'd love to see Souta and tell him the truth, I can't."
He reached across the table and rested a hand on hers, giving a small squeeze. "You're doing this for self peace-of-mind. So what if Souta or his family - if he has any - doesn't know who you are. You know and that's all that matters, isn't it? You're not going to the shrine and your family's tombstones to join them again; this all started from you wanting to move on. Don't worry yourself so much until you get there. Take little steps."
A jerky, teary nod answered him because her throat closed up. He was right and she knew it, but to be a Higurashi again sounded like a dream. But...she could never be Kagome and some part of her didn't want to, but it WAS the family she always wanted... She set chopsticks on the finished box and leaned back, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "You're right." She whispered, slowly turning to the window. "I know you are, but Kagome isn't exactly making this easy on me. I'm letting her get to me and I shouldn't."
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, getting stunned brown, but a minute smile. "You know I'm right here if you need me."
She blinked back tears from soft brown and nodded, bangs shadowing brown. "I...I know."
'Will you pull yourself together?? This IS a public restaurant and if people weren't staring at you, they will be at some crying gaijin and asking if there's a problem.'
She took a deep breath and held it, an old tactic she used to do to bury her feelings. It was a necessity and she didn't hesitate to use it. Once everything was done, or at least in front of her, she could deal. It would be hard to try and be strong with all these emotions allowing her to be weak. She was rather protective of what Kagome gave that completed her.
"Let's go." She replied, sliding from the booth. She ignored Inaki and made her way to the door, letting the cold air shock her out of the stupor.
Arms went around her waist and pulled her back a few inches. "Don't brush me off like that again." He lowly bit, trying not to feel insulted. "I know what you're doing - I still have my own memories you know... I don't want you to close off on me anymore. You didn't merge with Kagome to continue acting like the Kikyou part of your soul."
Hands clenched to fists as she stepped from his embrace and turned to face him, bangs shadowing eyes. "You don't understand... I don't want to break down until I see everything because I have a feeling it's going to hit hard and won't be merciful." She blinked away tears and looked away. "I - I don't want to deal just yet because I won't be able to handle it." She quickly wiped her eyes dry when they started to spill over and tightly embraced him. "I'll need you then more than ever to help get me back to the hotel at least. I'm going to need every ounce of support you can give when I fall."
He sighed and ran a hand through her hair, holding her tight. Brown took in the street as his jaw clenched. He hated watching her go through this and sound so defeated. She was like old Kalie when that girl seemed to lose hope quite easily.
It was going to be hard, that was a given, but the time distance and growing up in America should help. Of course, when Kagome freed Inuyasha from the tree after fifty years rest, everything was still the same in his mind just before he was pinned. He couldn't be a hypocrite, but it was still hard. "I'll be there for as long as you need me." He answered, giving her a quick kiss.
----------------------------------------------
It. Wasn't. There.
She stared in open shock at the area. Her body was frozen, face set in gaping mouth and wide eyes. She stared for what seemed the longest time before her legs moved forward, almost on their own. "D...Doko..." She breathed, taking another broken step. Her limbs jerked and moved as if free of each other and the commands of her brain. A hand moved out as if to touch the place and halted. "JINJA WA DOKO?!"
He jumped and quickly put a hand on her shoulder to draw her back to reality and calm down. "K...shikkari! There're people around."
She whipped to him, tears streaking down her pale face. "I - it's...not here... It's gone - they destroyed my home!" Hands fisted as she glared at the ground, feeling betrayed and empty. "Why? Why would Souta DO that?? It's not like him - I don't believe he would!"
He swore when she took off to the exact spot her house used to be on and ran to catch up. She seemed relieved and happy to see that Goshinboku's leaves could be seen blocks away. Her step hurried and he had to do as well to keep at her side. Only at the beginning of the block the shrine used to be on did she stop and react.
There was a two-story concrete and glass building where the shrine was. It filled almost all except a small courtyard that housed the enormous tree. It looked pretty new and in one stone block was carved the numbers two-oh-eight-eight. 'Ten years...this building has been here for ten years. Why would they tear down a SHRINE?! Isn't anyone worried about the powers that be that come with a shrine? Do the idiots think people put those buildings up to take space?? Why get rid of everything except Goshinboku??'
He was fuming. Kagome's home was as important to him as it was to her. He was glad the tree stayed intact - shit it had to be nearly a thousand years old by now!! - but why just that? Goshinboku was as important as every other building; it didn't make sense!
A shuddery breath drew him from mental ranting as they stopped on the sidewalk and he whipped to K. She was trying to take deep breaths to calm down, failing horribly. Her head was down to keep as many as possible from seeing her misery, fists clenched with arms barely trembling. "K...are - are you -"
She suddenly took off and ran to the building. He thought for one second she would start beating on it - that was as silly as it was stupid - but she cornered the first person spotted coming from the doors and grabbed what looked to be an expensive suit. He swore and took off, too stunned to know what she was planning and stop her.
"Where was the shrine that used to be here?!" She bit out in Japanese. She imagined the poor man was quite taken aback and somewhat scared of some gaijin suddenly coming off the street and threatening him, but she didn't give a rat's ass. All she knew was her home, the grounds, the well house, EVERYTHING was gone! She didn't have to worry about what she would say to Souta because there was no way to meet him.
"Let go of me - I don't know anything!"
"K - let that man go!"
Her glare became fiercer and her aura pulsated on low with anger. She let herself become intimidating - she wanted answers! "You have to know; you work here!" Her fists clenched even tighter and shook the man's western-style jacket a little as if to force words from him.
"There's a marker at the bottom of the building if you want to know." Hands wrenched the man free from her hold and a cold glare was sent her way. "I should call the police on you."
She ignored him and stared at the marker, reading the date. 'Twenty eighty-eight...ten years. So where is Souta??'
"You owe me an apology." She felt rather Kikyou-like in that moment as she turned a cold shoulder to the man and ran for Goshinboku. The last piece of her heritage left and she had to see it! "Hey! I'm calling the police!"
He skidded to a stop at the dreadful 'p' word and waved hands to get the man's attention. "Please sir, please don't! She didn't mean any harm; she's just in shock right now!" He bowed low as a way to appease the irate native. "I'm very sorry for her behavior."
"Your woman has a strange sense of how to act in public. What do foreigners know how to behave in Japan anyway?"
He bit his tongue in saying that he was foreign as well, but it was his only edge and kept it to himself. "She's not thinking clearly. I've never seen her do anything like this before - please don't send her to jail!"
"As long as you keep her from doing anything like that to some unsuspecting person, I won't."
Relief hit him and his shoulders sagged. He bowed again and smiled. "I will. Thank you very much sir. You aren't hurt, are you?"
The man grinned and went to grab a fallen briefcase. "Only my pride. Go grab your girlfriend and make sure to keep an eye on her."
He nodded and took off for the tree, seeing her slouched in front of the fence still surrounding it. He found that even odder, but slowed to a walk and almost crept up to her as he neared. "K...are you alright?"
She looked incredibly downtrodden and didn't turn to face him. "I didn't...hurt him did I?"
"No and I apologized for you. You're lucky he didn't throw your ass in jail. What were you thinking?? You can't just go and harass anyone you want for answers - there's a better way of finding information you know!"
If possible, her shoulders and head slumped even more. Brown stared at hands lying useless in her lap. It was more painful after some of the anger peeled away. Being in front of the tree never failed to calm her and that was dire just then. She marveled that the igaki and shimenawa were still there and looked undisturbed. It was a mystery, but then Goshinboku was never normal to begin with.
He sat with a huff, ignoring looks of those who worked and didn't work there, to see her face. "You going to keep causing trouble like you just did? I promised the man I'd watch you and frankly I have no desire for EITHER of us to go to jail for you irritating the populace. We didn't come to get physical; we came for you to get answers."
If he wanted to make her feel any guiltier than now, he just did. Shameful tears fell and she used most of her hair to cover it up. She was unable to answer him with the lump in her throat and couldn't. She was very horrible in her actions and had a distinct urge to find the man and beg for his forgiveness.
She knew she'd lose her head, but that was pathetic! 'Good going.' She berated. Self-anger rose but it was hard to hold onto it with the peace radiating from bark mere feet away.
"I'm...sorry..." She whispered. She stood abruptly and looked to high branches, praying for her old friend to help stop the tears. This was only going to get harder and seeing the shrine was SUPPOSED to be the easy part.
"Don't apologize to me," He grumbled, standing and dusting himself off, "that man is still watching you from across the way."
She turned and met black eyes of the native she threatened. Her head bowed, unable to look at him, but forced herself to move. She never met his eyes, even when she stopped in front of him. He was instantly on defensive, but she didn't hold it against him and again forced herself to swallow her pride.
Careful of the sidewalk and her jeans, she kneeled and bowed in such respect that he would be rude NOT to forgive her. She stared at his shoes and tried to calm down enough to talk. She could hear a crowd gathering at her display - some American gaijin acting more traditional than they probably were.
"Hontoni gomen nasai."
"S - stand up already! I accept your apology; just - just get off the ground!"
She did as requested and blinked at him in confusion. "I thought that was the only way to get your forgiveness. Was I wrong?"
The man looked at the small number of co-workers, face heating up. "No, you are quite correct...but you needn't have made such a spectacle of yourself."
"I wasn't worried about that as much as I was the shame I put us both through."
The man snorted, but his stance relaxed and gave a small smile. "In all the confusion, I never took note of your fluency and mannerisms. You have studied Japan and the language quite intensely, haven't you?"
She wanted to laugh. A grin popped up before she squelched most of it, though she nodded. "In a way. I didn't know a shrine could be torn down though. I thought they were too special." She stared at the building, mentally seething a little.
"This was bought by the government actually. I only know that because I was hired around the start time. I remember them putting this in. It was quite a shock to me as well."
She whipped to him, glad to be getting answers of any kind. Benevolence really paid off. "Really? Didn't any of the other shrines try to stop it?"
"As far as I know, whoever owned the land at the time sold it to the government and it was bought fair and square, so they couldn't. I'm old enough to know there WAS a shrine here, but not enough to know who owned it. I never remember visiting." Curious eyes turned her way. "Did you visit the shrine at one point? You look too young to remember it."
She blushed as his eyes raked her over. The man didn't seem past his thirty's, but if she wasn't careful, Inaki's jealousy - rather INUYAHSA'S jealousy - was going to get a fight picked.
Speaking of which...
She looked over and found said person staring into the branches as if to see the top...that or how to jump and sit on them. She smiled at such Inuyasha-like behavior and turned back.
"I - I used to live here quite a long time ago actually. Even if I don't look it, my heart has been here since." Not quite a lie, but not telling any details. Let the man think whatever he wanted; she wouldn't see him after today. "I'm just confused at how the tree still stands. If the whole plot was sold, why didn't it get chopped down?"
"They had an article in the paper about that actually. I remember reading about it...apparently the owners took stock of the area this building was going on and said they just couldn't tear it down. Not because the roots probably spanned a block or two and would be hell to get out, but said it didn't feel right. They left the fence and made sure construction workers didn't disrupt anything. The owner paid extra to keep it from being harmed in any way. Oddly enough, business has been pretty good."
'I bet.' The magic and protection of Goshinboku, if cared for properly, would've seen to that.
She stared at the building, this new information swirling her brain. She knew in her heart Souta would NEVER sell the shrine - not even for desperately needing money. Someone had to've scammed him, or there was something else going on. She couldn't believe he would sell it and then leave the tree up. Goshinboku was just as important as the well house or their home.
"Do you know if there's any way to see who bought the land here?"
"Why are you so interested in that shrine? There are plenty of other ones I can give you directions to if you don't remember where they are."
Black swished as she stared at the ground. "This place was...special to me. I wanted to see what became of it while I was in America and I can't let my soul rest until I find out why it was let go of so easily."
The shrine was owned by her grandfather and from what she remembered, jiisan lived here when he was a boy. This place was hers for generations and it hopefully passed to Souta instead of her after Kagome died.
"The only thing I know of is to look for newspapers ranging about ten to twelve years ago. This place took about a year to build and it sat empty for a little while before the owner bought it. You might be able to check archives at the library - they do that western kind of thing."
She smiled at the attempt of humor and bowed. "Thank you for giving me your time. I made you late for other engagements and I'm sorry. I apologize again for acting like I did. I didn't mean to and I was rather irrational when I saw this place."
"The shrine was that close to you?"
She meekly nodded, eyes misting. "It was...like my home..." She quickly looked away and tried to blink everything back.
"You are forgiven. Now that I know, it would be wrong to hold you accountable. I can't imagine if a place held that dear to me was torn down...you must be suffering greatly."
His concern was nice, but it was time to seek other answers. She knew of a library Kagome used to study at before the Sengoku adventure and would try there. The rest of the day would be spent there and she would forgo dinner if that's what it took.
"I am dealing." A wry smile entered. "Even if I crack at times." She bowed again and headed for Goshinboku, waving goodbye as they parted. She stopped next to Inaki and nudged him. "Hey you, I bowed and asked for forgiveness and managed to get some words out of him. We're heading for a library and I know where one is at - if THAT'S still standing anyway."
He didn't answer for a while, eyes still directed to a branch often occupied in his other time. "You know...the last time I saw this tree was...after I brought you home to your family for burial..."
Brown widened and fingers clutched at his sleeve. "No you don't! You don't get to be the depressed one here - that's my job today! Come on, if you go to pieces on me, how am I going to keep from going whacko again like I did on that poor guy?? Please Inaki, keep it together, I need you to be there for me! You're not Inuyasha anymore - that's over with."
His head bowed, digesting her words. She was right, but he had to reminisce. A tiny part of his soul, Inuyasha's mostly, felt friendship to the one place he spent a lot of his time...not counting the time stuck to it. It wasn't his prison, Kikyou's arrow was. He just happened to pass it and was actually lucky to be caught to this particular tree. It was one that defied time, as was seen by it being so old, yet healthy. If he wasn't pinned to that, he would've aged fifty years while asleep.
"You're right. I'm sorry to make you panic." He pulled her close and kissed her brow, looking to the business. "Such tragedy..." He murmured. "We can't let this go unanswered."
"I don't intend on it." She mentally swore right then she would not stop or leave Tokyo until she found out everything possible on this place. Talking to the owner wouldn't be beneficial. He bought the place from the government; she had to talk to the government instead. But that wouldn't get her far if they kept a tight lid on things unless she explained herself. That wasn't an option, so the library it was.
-----
Thankfully the library was still there. The look was a little altered to keep the building from crumbling, but inside was her concern. They headed in and she was astounded at the changes, but restrained emotions and headed for what she knew to be the newspaper section. That was in its old spot and she went for the desk in that area. There was an elderly woman there so she conjured up her most polite Japanese to butter the woman up.
"Do you have microfilm?" She asked, crossing fingers under the desk.
The secretary was surprised at her language use, but recovered well and pointed to a far wall. "Are you looking for a particular year or topic?"
"Ten to twelve years ago about a shrine that was sold and a business built over."
"Oh my, I remember that. It was quite an uproar to some that prayed there regularly." The woman's head shook as she tsked. "Kids these days."
Her heart accelerated with more news. "Kids?? You mean you know some details about it?"
The woman gave a look around at anyone else that might show up before finding it empty and walked from the counter. They followed as she went for the file cabinets. "I know what I read and I know there are some things in the paper. We don't keep copies anymore - one of the managers suggested the way they do it in America and we've done it ever since." The woman stopped and gave her a questioning look. "You're gaijin; where are you from?"
She smiled, trying not to let her patience snap at being so close. "America."
The woman chuckled before looking around typed dates on the handles. "I'll be - I wondered. We get a lot of gaijin to Japan, but not many to the library. Do you know how to read kanji?"
She nodded and pointed to Inaki with a grin. "He learned as well."
He snorted and brushed her finger away. "Don't drag me into this! It's not my fault."
The woman gave him a surprised look. "You're gaijin?? I'm surprised."
He grinned. "My great, great grandparents went over when my hisofusan was a baby."
"My, that's quite a long time ago." The woman pulled a drawer open and fingers flipped through boxes. "Give this a try. If not, just put it back the way you found it and try a little farther." She snatched it from the woman's fingers as if it were gold. They wandered to the machines and the woman showed them how to use one. "I'll be at the desk if you need anything."
"Thank you very much for your help." She bowed a little.
"You're very welcome. Such nice young people you are. I am still a little shocked that those kids would sell the shrine like that. I used to take my children there years ago. Such a beautiful place; such a beautiful tree."
Her hand clenched, nails biting into her skin. "Yes...it was beautiful..." She inaudibly muttered. Shaking her head, she faked a smile and turned to pull up a chair. The machine was already on and hooked up from the woman's directions, so she began at the front and started twirling the knob.
It took a few minutes to regain fluent hiragana again, but after that she skimmed titles of front pages before heading to the next date. She went through half the first roll before having Inaki look as well, since he was just looking over her shoulder. It would save time and they would be more productive. She knew he wouldn't want to stay here all night, or at least until they closed, so they had to make the most of it because she WOULD come all the way back tomorrow.
Four rolls of film later, they were no closer. She was beginning to think this library didn't have anything until she rolled past pages and the kanji for 'shrine' caught her eye. She quickly went back to the beginning and read every possible piece containing it. There was a small series done on the event, from the beginning announcement to public outcry, to a final piece on its sale and what would be done with it. The articles spanned two and a half months, but were relatively small until one reached the interviews.
The old woman was right about people being displeased. Many offered to take up ownership to keep the shrine from being shut down when they heard what would be done with it. There was a petition to keep it from being sold, but those selling it obviously didn't care. Many wanted to pledge yen since it seemed to be about money and dislike of the idea of being a shrine owner.
In the end, her kin won out.
Knuckles turned white as she stared at the beginning articles containing names of her future family. She was enraged and it boiled inside her like a plague. She wanted to scream, to curse them for what they did, but one question rose. What did they do to her baby brother??
She went to the very beginning pieces and read each carefully, looking for Souta's hiragana. She didn't see it until later, when the kin were interviewed about why they were giving up the shrine. It was short and didn't give much, but one word stood out that shook her to the core.
She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Her body sat like stone on the seat as brown stared at the characters. Her hand slowly dropped from the roller, banging on the counter like a weight and slipping off to hang dead in the air.
'Uso...USO! It can't be! No - no!! Not him, anyone but him. Why is the world so cruel? Why is FATE so cruel??'
She never heard Inaki's presence until a hand rested on her shoulder. She exhaled a pent-up, shaky breath and slouched against the back. "Aitsu...Souta wa..."
He glanced at the article she was still looking at, brow furrowed. "K, what is it?"
"Shinatta." She quietly answered. Her voice was dead in her ears. "He really died."
He was shocked and his hand slipped from her shoulder. A picture of the boy Inuyasha gave Tessaiga to flashed in his mind. Such seriousness at the death of his sister, but there was a light in the boy's eyes that showed his innocence. Every time he visited, Souta talked to him. He felt safer around the boy, like he could let his guard down. There was no worry about trying to be strong around someone that honestly didn't care as long as he had a big sword.
Sorrow flared, but he shoved it aside and kneeled next to the chair. It was the only way he could see K's eyes and was stunned at what he saw.
Anger. She was so thoroughly pissed he didn't know if it was a good idea to detract her from whatever thoughts were going around her head and have her vent it. In a public place where whispers were the only thing allowed - even that was pushing it - she would definitely get thrown in jail for disrupting the peace.
"We're not interested in a shrine. Times have changed and it's not possible for a person to make a living - or even live comfortably - with the meager amount that comes with tending, cleaning, and living in such a place."
Eyes and heart turned to ice at what she read. Brown was stuck on the interview with her family - what sounded like money-hungry whelps instead of spiritual Shintoists. How DARE they do that!
"We know people aren't happy with our decision...we know because we had to put up with the disapproving looks, horrible words, and crowds that keep knocking on our door begging us to reconsider."
'Oh how sad for you.' She retorted.
"But those people don't understand what it's like to live with divorced parents and being your own legal guardian. We didn't want to get stuck in the middle of our parents' divorce like that and it's not possible to live on our own. I don't know why ojiisan willed the shrine to me and imoto anyway - we never wanted it."
Even though she was from a divorced family and knew what it was like, what they were saying when they meant the middle of things, she continued to seethe and dig nails into palms. Pain had gone from extreme to numb and if she wasn't careful she was finally going to break skin.
It took a long time before she calmed down and managed to breathe any degree. She ignored Inaki's presence to soak in her loathing. He wouldn't be able to do much for her except be a verbal punching bag and she did that enough to him already. True he was supposed to be there for her at times like this, but right now she wanted to hit something, not turn to someone.
"Yu...yurusan..." She grit out, barely able to get through with as tight as her jaw was.
She was practically radiating hostility - he didn't need demon powers to know that - and for a second he thought she was going to vibrate off the chair she was shaking so hard. on now. You're going to draw attention. Remember that man you harassed? You're worse than that and if you don't take some deep breaths, you're going to get yourself in a whole lot of trouble."
His words slowly seeped in. Kagome's anger always managed to scare and cower Inuyasha, but at least Inaki was handling it better by trying to soothe her instead of get irritated or hide.
It took quite a while to compose herself and she finally shut the light off with overflowing disgust. "Such horrid family I have..." She muttered, turning in the chair to cover her eyes and rest elbows on knees.
He moved before she beamed him in the head and steadily watched for any volatile action. Hands slowly covered knees after what felt like enough time for it to be safe and not have her take out everything on him. A trip to the hospital wasn't on the agenda.
Her mind was oddly empty, but her body seethed with so many emotions. She tried to push them back and was pretty successful. She would deal with it later and scream her head off when no one could hear. That sounded rather nice; that and a REALLY good cry.
The shrine was gone and Kagome had most definitely disappeared more than just death. She assumed the well house was torn up because she didn't see any trace of it anywhere. Not that she wanted to go to the Sengoku, but it would've been fun to see if it worked.
Wouldn't THAT have been icing on the cake of this whole situation!
She sat back with a sigh and looked to the dark contraption. It still had to be used, considering she needed names and addresses. Now that one question had been solved, she needed to conjure a plan to solve another.
Where in the world her family's grave markers were.
I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner...so if these are not 100 correct...please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page to learn from, a dictionary, and a few months experience to work with.
Translations: Heisei Jidai-1989 - Gaijin-Foreigner Jinja wa doko-Where's the (Shinto) shrine Igaki-Wooden railing surrounding shrine (or enshrined object)
Shimenawa-Straw rope with white zigzag paper strips; marks the boundary to something sacred and can be found on torii gates, around sacred trees and stones, etc
Aitsu...Souta wa-He's...Souta is Shinatta-He died/He's dead Yurusan-Same as yursunai w/o I