CHAPTER THREE
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The sun was setting when Inuyasha finally came to the well. He peered inside, then glanced from side to side, to make sure nobody was watching him leave. He hated having anyone know when he was going to see Kagome... especially if they were having a disagreement. And having Miroku and Shippo blame him for everything didn't help.
With a grunt, he leaped in.
As the well let him fall through time and space, Inuyasha steeled himself for what was ahead. Kagome had only gotten angry or unhappy enough to even contemplate leaving for good a few times... and if she had returned the jewel shards, it meant that she wanted to make an end of it all. And she meant it.
He was dreading their confrontation. He remembered the day when she had confessed that she wanted to be near him no matter what. What had changed? Did she hate him for promising to stick by Kikyo? Or had she... well, not really meant it? Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, but the speculation had struck a nerve. He hadn't told the others what Kagome had said to him... especially since he didn't know if he would ever see her after today.
Had she fallen in love with somebody on her side of the well? The thought made Inuyasha feel ill. But he forced himself not to think of that. It ain't like we were ever... ever really together, he thought.
He crept out of the well and out into the courtyard. Nobody was around. He hopped up to Kagome's window and slid it open, looking over the room with its homework-strewn desk, and bright pink bed. "Kagome?" he said softly. But there was nobody there.
Inuyasha jumped inside and sniffed the air. Her scent is all over the place, he thought. He swallowed hard. "Kagome?" he called again, venturing out into the hallway.
He went to Kagome's grandfather's room, which was right down the hall from Kagome's. It smelled strongly of incense and dust -- much like the old man himself -- and more of the smell rolled out when he poked open the door. "Anybody home?" he called.
The little boy Sota's room was also empty, except for dozens of toys strewn on the floor. Inuyasha bit his lip, wondering where they all were. Usually they're hanging around, but today.... he thought. Does it have anything to do with Kagome leaving? They couldn't have moved away... their furniture is still all here. And it all smells like them.
Then his ears twitched.
The door was opening just as he came down the stairs. It was Kagome's mother, holding four or five paper bags in her arms. A couple more were at her feet. "Oh, it's Inuyasha," she said brightly. "How nice to see you. Could you help me with these groceries?"
Inuyasha scooped five of the bags up. Can't hurt to have her mom on my side right now, he thought.
"Thank you so much!" Mrs. Higurashi said as he dumped the bags on her kitchen table. "I wasn't sure how I was going to manage all those."
Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Um... where is everyone?"
"Grandpa is at a retreat in the mountains." Mrs. Higurashi started pulling cans and boxes out of the bags. "And Sota is at a weekend summer camp. So I have some time to myself for a change to get things done." She paused. "And why are you here? Is there something wrong?"
"Sorta," Inuyasha muttered. "I-I wanna speak with Kagome."
"With Kagome?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha swallowed hard. The sooner I do this... the sooner I'll know why it is she's gone... and whether it was my fault, he thought. "It's... it's kind of important. I need to ask her something."
"Well, why are you here then?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, puzzled. "Kagome went back through the well three days ago."
It took a moment for the news to sink in. "What?" Inuyasha said dazedly.
"Yes. Her test was cancelled and so she decided to go back early."
"So... she isn't here? She didn't come back here?"
"No. Why? Is something wrong?"
Inuyasha felt as if something was exploding inside his head. "I-I gotta go right now!" he said. Without further explanation, he turned and raced out the open door, across the courtyard, and into the wellhouse. He paused for a moment, slipping his hand into his clothing. Kagome's crumpled note and bottle of jewel shards were there -- and now he knew that something had gone horribly wrong...
I don't know what's happening, he thought angrily, diving into the well. But I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!
TO BE CONTINUED
.
The sun was setting when Inuyasha finally came to the well. He peered inside, then glanced from side to side, to make sure nobody was watching him leave. He hated having anyone know when he was going to see Kagome... especially if they were having a disagreement. And having Miroku and Shippo blame him for everything didn't help.
With a grunt, he leaped in.
As the well let him fall through time and space, Inuyasha steeled himself for what was ahead. Kagome had only gotten angry or unhappy enough to even contemplate leaving for good a few times... and if she had returned the jewel shards, it meant that she wanted to make an end of it all. And she meant it.
He was dreading their confrontation. He remembered the day when she had confessed that she wanted to be near him no matter what. What had changed? Did she hate him for promising to stick by Kikyo? Or had she... well, not really meant it? Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, but the speculation had struck a nerve. He hadn't told the others what Kagome had said to him... especially since he didn't know if he would ever see her after today.
Had she fallen in love with somebody on her side of the well? The thought made Inuyasha feel ill. But he forced himself not to think of that. It ain't like we were ever... ever really together, he thought.
He crept out of the well and out into the courtyard. Nobody was around. He hopped up to Kagome's window and slid it open, looking over the room with its homework-strewn desk, and bright pink bed. "Kagome?" he said softly. But there was nobody there.
Inuyasha jumped inside and sniffed the air. Her scent is all over the place, he thought. He swallowed hard. "Kagome?" he called again, venturing out into the hallway.
He went to Kagome's grandfather's room, which was right down the hall from Kagome's. It smelled strongly of incense and dust -- much like the old man himself -- and more of the smell rolled out when he poked open the door. "Anybody home?" he called.
The little boy Sota's room was also empty, except for dozens of toys strewn on the floor. Inuyasha bit his lip, wondering where they all were. Usually they're hanging around, but today.... he thought. Does it have anything to do with Kagome leaving? They couldn't have moved away... their furniture is still all here. And it all smells like them.
Then his ears twitched.
The door was opening just as he came down the stairs. It was Kagome's mother, holding four or five paper bags in her arms. A couple more were at her feet. "Oh, it's Inuyasha," she said brightly. "How nice to see you. Could you help me with these groceries?"
Inuyasha scooped five of the bags up. Can't hurt to have her mom on my side right now, he thought.
"Thank you so much!" Mrs. Higurashi said as he dumped the bags on her kitchen table. "I wasn't sure how I was going to manage all those."
Inuyasha cleared his throat. "Um... where is everyone?"
"Grandpa is at a retreat in the mountains." Mrs. Higurashi started pulling cans and boxes out of the bags. "And Sota is at a weekend summer camp. So I have some time to myself for a change to get things done." She paused. "And why are you here? Is there something wrong?"
"Sorta," Inuyasha muttered. "I-I wanna speak with Kagome."
"With Kagome?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha swallowed hard. The sooner I do this... the sooner I'll know why it is she's gone... and whether it was my fault, he thought. "It's... it's kind of important. I need to ask her something."
"Well, why are you here then?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, puzzled. "Kagome went back through the well three days ago."
It took a moment for the news to sink in. "What?" Inuyasha said dazedly.
"Yes. Her test was cancelled and so she decided to go back early."
"So... she isn't here? She didn't come back here?"
"No. Why? Is something wrong?"
Inuyasha felt as if something was exploding inside his head. "I-I gotta go right now!" he said. Without further explanation, he turned and raced out the open door, across the courtyard, and into the wellhouse. He paused for a moment, slipping his hand into his clothing. Kagome's crumpled note and bottle of jewel shards were there -- and now he knew that something had gone horribly wrong...
I don't know what's happening, he thought angrily, diving into the well. But I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!
TO BE CONTINUED