I see your face when I close my eyes
Haunting me forever
You're the one that did this to me
The one that drove me to this point...
The one that made me alone
Crying alone,
Dying alone..
I see your face then... and know I really was alone
By the time Kagome had taken her shower and gotten dressed, Agent Smith was no where to be found.
"Mamma... Where'd he go?" Kagome asked, blinking as she put down her coke can.
"Oh, Agent Smith? He said he had some business to take care of at work, and that he'd be back later."
"I see.." Kagome mumbled, picking up her school bag and walking to the door. She slipped her shoes on, and called over her shoulder to her mother. "I'm going!"
"Have fun at school, Kagome!" Her mother's faint voice reached her ears as she ran from the shrine, past the well house as fast as her tired legs would carry her. She used to just go down to the well and gaze into its dark depths... Tears falling from her eyes and dropping into the dirt. Though, she faintly wondered if her tears were able to go through time, even though she no longer could.
Wouldn't that be ironic? To have her many tears soak up the dirt in the well, causing Shippou to smell her scent mixed with salt and lead the others to the well... Only hear soft sobs and tear-stained dirt at the well, with no way to help her...
She left her yellow pack in Sengoku Jidai... She was only concerned with making it to the well as fast as she could, and ran blindly through the forest for what seemed like hours before finding the well to take her home.
'Home...'
By the time she had crossed times, her legs and arms were bleeding pretty badly. All the times she had tripped caused her knees to bruise and all the low-hanging branches she ran into scratched her arms and legs. Her school uniform had been torn and her socks were stained a faint crimson.
'Home... Is this home..?' She wondered, looking back at the shrine from the top of the steps. At one point, she had called it home, but after she went to Sengoku Jidai...
She had felt that her home was with her friends there...
'Home was with them.. Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan, Kaede-baachan... Heck, even Kouga-kun... and Inu Yasha...'
"I'll never see them again..." She whispered with a shaky voice as she walked down the shrine steps. Then, a thought hit her... Part of her had still been suspicious that Agent Smith was Inu Yasha... but..
Last night was a New moon... and she had been out there when the sun rose... and he was still in human guise...
She sighed as she began walking down the sidewalk, her last hope leaving her. Where was she headed? School?
No way in hell... she was going in the opposite direction, though, she wasn't sure where she was going.
Slowly, she entered a store, finding herself walking aimlessly down the aisles. The place was deserted except for the woman behind the cash register. Kagome looked down the aisle she was walking along, remembering when she had taken Inu Yasha shopping in her time...
Inu Yasha walked beside Kagome, a hat on his head to cover his fuzzy ears. His arms were shoved in his haori sleeves and a slight scowl on his face, while Kagome was smiling in complete bliss. 'We're just like a couple of lovers walking together!' Then, she blushed at her thoughts. 'Did I really think that!'
They had reached the store, and Inu Yasha was looking down the aisles in awe, surprised at all the delicious food he saw lined up. "Ohhh.." His jaw hung open, his eyes wide with amazement. Kagome took a moment to study his expression, giggling softly behind her hand. Then, she looked over, noticing where the ramen was, and grabbed his hand, pulling him in that direction. Inu Yasha glanced down at their joined hands, a blush tinting his cheeks, as he followed.
Kagome looked up from the ground, finding herself at the same mountain of ramen as before. She stared at it blankly for a moment... Then sprinted away from it as if it would bite her. She ran out of the store, ignoring the weird stare the lady behind the counter gave her, and went into the store next to that one.
It was a clothing store.. Only more teenage in style.
She sighed heavily, trying to kill time since she wasn't going to school.. She was going to drop by work after this and ask if she could take the day off.. She knew it wasn't smart to take your second day of work off, but she couldn't help it– she felt really depressed and tired, dammit!
She found herself looking in the back at some all black outfits. Glancing down at her school uniform, she realized that it only served as a reminder of her travels with the Inu-tachi. Smirking, she grabbed some clothes off the rack and went to try them on...
She emerged from the dressing room, satisfied. She took another quick glance at a mirror beside the door to survey her outfit. It consisted a black mini skirt made of a shiny black material with black knee socks and black Chinese slippers to go with it. Her shirt was sleeveless and black with glitter spread over it like stars on a dark night. A long, black jacket was draped over her shoulders, coming to rest at the backs of her knees.
She smirked. She had become so pale and the circles under her eyes so dark, that she could pull off this look. She paid for all the clothes and wore them out of the store, a chain necklace around her neck now– the teenage male behind the counter had given it to her for free to complete her ensemble.
Soon, she found herself at the door of the club, frowning when she heard Agent Smith's voice from inside. The club wasn't even open yet! 'What's -he- doing here!' she wondered as she stepped through the door. She blinked as everyone turned to face her, there being two more people with Agent Smith this time.
...A girl and a man that looked just like Miroku and Sango...
Only in modern clothes... Miroku didn't have the ponytail, and Sango's hair wasn't put up... Err.. The people that looked like them that is...
She stared at them for a moment, then shook her head.. Hard.
"Kagome-chan! What're you doing here?" Tsubii asked, looking her over. "Shouldn't you be at school..?"
Kagome walked closer, shaking her head slightly, though she kept glancing over at the people that looked like her friends.
"Kagome... You were supposed to be getting some rest!" Agent Smith grumbled, taking a step towards her. "And.. What's with the get-up?" His eyes traveled over her, taking in the goth look.
"I'm fine.. I just don't feel so great.." She said, looking at a point just past Agent Smith's face. She then turned to Tsubii. "Can I please have the day off..?"
Tsubii nodded. "Hai.. You look terrible anyways, Kagome-chan...Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, we don't want you scaring off the customers..." Kiki stated with a snicker as she twirled around on a bar stool. Kagome glanced over at her, then back to Tsubii, who was directing a glare behind her.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Tsubii... Really..." She said, trying to force her usual fake smile into place. She then turned to Agent Smith. "What're you doing here anyways?" She asked, her tone lacking interest.
"Keh, just asking the usual questions for the paper work... You see, those guys I arrested last night were really wanted criminals from a gang..."
"Wouldn't that be more of police work?" Kiki asked, still twirling around.
"Feh! You didn't lemme finish!"
"The gang rapes their victims to death..." The man that looked like Miroku stated.
Kagome looked on in horror.
"Yeah, so you're lucky I happened to be there, or you would have been in some hot water..." Agent Smith mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Arigatou..." Kagome softly said, looking at the ground. She felt so tired.. And she just wanted to get out of this place.. This place with the people that looked like her friends... She was going crazy...
'I'm gonna get put in an institution soon..' she thought darkly, looking up at the agents. She eeped and stumbled back when Agent Smith was only a few inches away, looming over her and studying her expression. He caught her arm and blinked.
"That's it, I'm taking you home to get some rest..." he mumbled as he pulled her closer by her arm.
"I don't need it!" she shouted, yanking her arm from his grasp and heading for the door. "I'll be in for work tomorrow, Tsub!" she forced her fake smile a little wider over her shoulder.
"Wait, you!" Agent Smith called after her, yet she walked out the door. She sighed, pulling her backpack strap up a little more on her shoulder and beginning to walk aimlessly again.
As she walked along the deserted alley way that held the strip club, her finger went into her skirt pocket. She had transferred the rosary from her school skirt to her new black one upon purchase. Her fingers caressed the beads, her fingernails going over the cracks, the rosary giving her the only strength she had left to go on.
It came back to her... The moment Inu Yasha got his rosary taken off...
When he had announced to her that he was going with Kikyou to hell.. It was right before that memory she had earlier..
Kagome stumbled slightly as she remembered...
Inu Yasha had went after Kikyou's shikigami a while ago, leaving Kagome to sit by the fire, waiting. She had decided that she had waited too long and something must have happened to him, so she began to walk along the forest, looking for him.
She walked through the familiar Forest of Inu Yasha, the first place she had seen when she fist cam to Sengoku Jidai. Fireflies danced about her, crickets chirped in tune, giving her some traveling music. An owl hooted nearby, and not a sound of a youkai was about. But soon, she heard voices and hid behind a tree, watching the scene in front of her...
Inu Yasha and Kikyou...
Their lips were locked, and as they pulled away to gaze into each other's eyes, Inu Yasha had said he... he loved her...
Kagome's heart of glass shattered and tears sprung to her eyes. She has stumbled back, trying to get away before he could smell her tears. 'He's in love with her... I lose. I couldn't compete with someone who died for him...'
Naraku had been destroyed. The Shikon no Tama was missing but one shard, which was in their possession... Tonight was the night Kagome was going to purify the jewel completely, so Inu Yasha could make his wish.
The shards were back in Kaede's village...
But Kikyou had interfered with their dreams. With Kagome's dreams. She had destroyed their small group that had stuck by each other through thick and thin by destroying the bond between the first two members.
Everything happened in a blur of red and white. Inu Yasha had smelled her tears and Kikyou had yelled and threatened until he had told her that he was going to hell with Kikyou and not to shed any tears over him.
The shards of Kagome's heart were hammered into dust, the proverbial wind picking up dust of her heart and showering it over the lands, where many innocent bystanders looked up at the sparkles floating through the sky in awe, only to have the sharp edges of that dust rain into their eyeballs, blinding them and making their blood run down their cheeks, the grass being stained red and the fields being filled with screams of immense pain and horror!
She took off his rosary, she did. Kagome took off his rosary in anger and hurt, removing the last of their ties before she made her break...
Kagome swaggered in the alley, one hand to her head, the other in her pocket. It wasn't good to have these memories keep popping up. She'd be labeled as mentally unstable soon if it kept up. Though, she knew a world of nothing but white and solitude would only make her worse... She'd probably start thinking that he was there, alive and kicking, insulting her, arguing, picking fights... And she'd throw her arms around his neck, bury her face in the red fabric of his haori, and never let go...
But, maybe having an illusion Inu Yasha would be better than bitter memories of her heart breaking. If only she could see him one more time...
Kagome snapped out of her thoughts when a dark clad man came running up to her. She blinked, expecting him to run by her or something, but instead, he grabbed her off the ground and put her over his shoulder. "Kyah!" She shrieked, before she was lifted up slightly and brought down hard on his shoulder. Stars lit up behind her eyelids as the air rushed from her lungs. "Inu...Yasha..." she whispered as she fell limp on the man's shoulder.
Agent Smith cursed under his breath as Kagome walked out of the club. What had become of her? Now, she had an all-black thing going for her.. He supposed depression had finally caught up with her.
He slumped back in his chair, taking a sip of Irish beer from the cup Kiki set in front of him.
"She looked horrible.. Did you see the bags under her eyes? Like she hasn't slept in days..."
Agent Smith looked up at the man that resembled Miroku. "She probably hasn't, Bates.." he stated, taking another sip. He could tell it would take a lot of beer to make him feel better. To his side, the girl that looked like Sango mumbled something about the report they were filing and started to ask Tsubii questions, though Agent Smith paid no mind. His concentration was suddenly on a muffled scream that he was sure belonged to Kagome.
...The only thing left in Agent Smith's wake was an overturned chair and an open door.
He ran down the alleyway as fast as he could, keeping to the shadows. Soon, he saw a man with Kagome over his shoulder. Cursing under his breath, he continued to tail the man, trying to catch up. As he rounded a corner, the man suddenly disappeared.
Agent Smith cursed, a little louder this time, and started to search the dead end for some secret escape. Worry washed over him, so he closed his eyes, and slowly pulled his badge out, dropping it to the ground, causing it to glow a faint pink, dimly lighting up the dead end...
Bound... Bound by ropes of thorn.
Cutting.. Into her skin, yet feeling no pain.
Darkness.. A cold embrace in the vast nothingness.
Memories... Springing out of the shadows...
Kagome saw nothing but darkness, and she was forced to stare off in terror. Ropes of thorn bound her hands and feet, cutting into her delicate ivory flesh, yet she couldn't feel any pain. She knew it was all a nightmare...
One night, she feared she'd be trapped in a never ending nightmare.. Who knows? Maybe she -was- in a nightmare, because of some youkai that was torturing her, therefore enabling her to feel pain... And that sick wet feeling where the roses were digging in was some sort of acid or water...
Nah, not likely.. Inu Yasha would've found a way to cure her by now if that was true...
It almost felt like an invisible hand were keeping her head in place, causing her to stare off into the darkness. She felt so tired, though...
'Inu Yasha...' The name came to her automatically. It always seemed like she was trained to say his name or call for him when she was in a tight spot. Suddenly, an image formed in front of her.. A memory...
"Inu Yasha!" She cried out, running towards him after he had blocked the well and she had made it back. She lunged and clung to his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I was so worried when you didn't come back to get me.. I thought you.. died.."
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome called out from Kirara, jumping off the neko youkai's back to fall back down to where her hanyou protector awaited.
"Baka!" He shouted, putting his transformed Tetsusaiga into the ground and holding his arms up to catch her. He spun her around once as she landed in his arms, holding her close with a look of annoyance on his face to try to cover the worry. "What were you thinking jumping off like that! You're not luggage!"
Kagome only smiled, her feet still off the ground. "I knew you'd catch me, Inu Yasha."
"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha! INU YASHA!" Kagome cried out, struggling against the pentagram star that held her body immobile. She watched in horror as Inu Yasha was slowly being turned into a full youkai, his human side being sealed away in a mirror.
'No...' Kagome thought, watching the memory take place, new tears forming in her eyes.
When Kagome was freed, she ran to Inu Yasha, clinging to him like a life line. "You have to stop, Inu Yasha.. I like you the way you are. I like you as a hanyou, Inu Yasha!"
Kagome opened her mouth to scream out as she watched the memories... Anything to break them apart and pull her from this living nightmare...
"Inu Yasha..." Kagome whispered, smiling, "You came.." Hakudoushi slipped from her arms as she fell backwards, her eyes sliding closed as her body went limp. Inu Yasha called out her name and lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
The memories faded, leaving Kagome to sob in the darkness with a refreshed feeling of emptiness inside her...
Agent Smith cursed, looking over his work. The man lay in a bloody heap against the wall, and Kagome lay beside him, naked. He had found the trap door in the side of the wall just in time, he decided, bending down and scooping Kagome up, along with a blanket that lay beneath her.
The man had planned on raping hi–... er.. Kagome. The man had seen Kagome naked.
Agent Smith was sure the man would never be able to see clearly again after the beating he got..
Agent Smith cradled her close to him, kicking the unconscious man a few times for good measure. He had tried not to look at her body. He knew that the man hadn't gotten as far as to rape her, but he thought he saw what looked like some bruises coming up on her breasts...
He also knew that if he saw bruises on her here, he would have to kill the man. And he wouldn't like to be charged with murder...
So... He took Kagome back to the club, being sure to keep out of sight, and snuck in the back exit. He snuck in, being sure to be quiet, and opened the next door, finding the stairs that lead to the dressing room. He didn't want anyone to see her like this... He didn't want to have to say she almost got raped or answer their questions.. He wanted to take care of her, not have Tsubii and Kiki take her back her and check her for bruises.
Not that he was going to do any major checking... he was just going to find her some new clothes, since hers were torn.
He took the stairs two at a time and slowly opened the door. A variety of costumes were hanging by racks and stacked up on shelves for the strippers. He laid Kagome out on the counter as he pulled an over-sized T-shirt and the longest skirt he could find... which wouldn't cover much. Agent Smith walked over to her, his gaze resting on her face. She looked so pale... and the dark circles under her eyes showed that she had not slept well in what looked like months. She was thin and looked so vulnerable... She looked as if she had no will to live.
He pulled the shirt over her head, his gaze wandering over her breasts to check them for bruises. A low growl pulled in the back of his throat and his eyes shot golden for a moment, before turning back to the usual dull violet. There was only two small bruises, but it still was enough for him to see red. It was sickening that insane rapists lurked the place. In daylight, for crying out loud!
He finished pulling the shirt over her and pulled on the skirt as well, before picking her up bridal style and sneaking out of the club. He got in his car and placed her in the passenger seat, tilting the seat back a little bit so she wouldn't fall forward. He buckled her up and started the car, taking off for the Higurashi Shrine.
He got there shortly, parking the car close to it. Agent Smith opened up his door and stepped out into the city air, tilting his head towards the sky and sighing. Things were so complicated now... Ever since his badge had first gotten knocked away from him in a fight. He had the nickname of 'youkai' among his fellow officers, but he wasn't sure what happened... It was like memories rushed back and he was suddenly super fueled.
He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, walking over to the other side of the car to unbuckle Kagome. He plucked her from the seat, once again holding her bridal style, as he looked down the street, shutting his car door with his foot. The sun was already setting... It seemed the day had flown by. He sighed softly as a flock of birds flew by, careless, with no direction in mind. They were carefree... Not confused like he was. He sometimes wished he could be that free.. Just run as fast as he could, the wind in his hair, a girl on his back...
He mounted the stairs and slipped silently into the house. He didn't see any of her family around, so he was content for the time being. He took her into her room and laid her on her bed gently, then began looking through her closet for something to go over her clothes... So her mom wouldn't get the wrong idea.
As soon as he opened the door, his eyes grew wide. There was a red haori folded inside a plastic bag on the floor. He carefully picked it up, drawn to it, and pulled it from the bag. It looked old– yet familiar. Various blood stains lined it, but it held the strong, sweet scent of the forest. He went over to Kagome with it in hand and draped it over her. She smiled slightly in her sleep, snuggling up to it, and he sat down on her bed beside her.
"Inu...Yasha... Please.. Come back.." She whispered in her sleep, and Agent Smith looked down, his bangs concealing his eyes. He silently put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up slightly to rest against his chest. Just as the sun finally set, causing darkness to fall over the same shrine, he took out his badge, a faint pink light glowing around him, and put it on her night stand. Slowly, his hair turned silver, his ears moved to fuzzy dogears on his head, and his fingernails grew longer.
Inu Yasha looked up slightly, his golden eyes liquid with unshed tears, and ran his claws gently through Kagome's hair. With a voice thick with emotion, he leaned down to whisper against her ear...
"Shh, It's okay...I'm right here, Kagome..."
A/N: I bet you're thinking Agent Smith was Inu Yasha's reincarnation, ne? Well, not quite that. The explaining will come next chapter, promise!