MysticalDreamer: Alo again all. And I must say this update was much much faster than the other. Didn't get as many reviews, but I can deal with that. Enjoy!
chapter three
Miroku and Shippo stared at Sango, as she sat still with her eyes closed. Kirara sat in her lap, and she pet the cat demon mindlessly.
"Sango-chan...?" asked Miroku.
"Must you call me that?" she replied dully.
"Ah, so you are awake."
She opened one eye and looked at the monk. "How can I be sleeping and petting Kirara at the same time, Houshi-sama?" she asked, before closing her eye again.
"True, true..." said Miroku, sitting down cross legged near her. Shippo bounced off his shoulder and onto the ground.
"We didn't know what you were doing," explained Shippo.
"I was thinking," she said.
Miroku sighed. "I figured out that much of it," he said.
Sango opened both of her eyes. "Something is wrong," she said.
"Hm?" asked Miroku.
"Inuyasha didn't throw a fit at Kagome's leaving," explained Sango. "Not only that, but he willingly took her back to Kaede's village."
"I must say, I understand what you mean," said Miroku. "Inuyasha should have a bruised face from many Sits."
Shippo nodded furiously. "I kept waiting for Inuyasha to explode and for Kagome to sit him a lot," he said. "But it never happened."
Miroku narrowed his eyes a bit. "Ne, Shippo," he said. Shippo looked at the monk. "Will you go fetch some water?"
"Whaaat?" asked Shippo, sounding annoyed. "You want it, you get it!"
Miroku sighed. "I wish to speak with Sango," he said. "And I'd like you to get some water. You needn't worry, Shippo; This is serious."
Shippo sighed. "Fine..." he said. "But if I hear a scream, it's Shippo-chan to the rescue! Don't worry, Sango!"
She smiled at the kitsune. "Thank you Shippo," she said warmly. He grinned, gave the victory sign and bounced away.
"Now," said Miroku, "We come to the serious matter I wished to speak of."
Sango raised an eyebrow. "And that is?" she inquired.
"First, there was that whole Kagome screaming thing," he explained. "Which I might add, seemed extremely serious. Yet neither Kagome-sama or Inuyasha said anything about it to us."
"I was curious about it," said Sango. "After all, Kagome wouldn't turn so white and gastly like that for something insignificant."
"Exactly," said Miroku. "And then, Kagome-sama is completely fine. Adding to that, she goes home and Inuyasha does nothing. As a matter of fact, he's going to go with her in a few days time!"
Sango sighed and interlocked her fingers, staring down at them. "I know what hidden pain looks like," she said. "And I can see it deep within Kagome-chan's eyes," she said in a solemn voice.
Miroku could only sigh as he leaned back on one hand, looking upward at the cloudless skies.
"My own eyes were the same," said Sango, "After I witnessed everyone in my family die... right before my eyes. They held a despair so deep, that when it finally came out, all I wanted to do was cry for eternity..."
Miroku shifted his gaze towards Sango, slightly suprised to hear her words. "Sango..." he said softly.
"But," said Sango, "If this is what Kagome-chan wants, I will respect that, and let her be... I just want her to know that I am here for her, just as she was here for me..."
Miroku smiled. "You must tell her that upon her return," he said. "If what you say is true about her hidden despair, then those words will bring her the upmost comfort."
She looked at him and grinned. "That I will," she said. Another breeze blew across the Sengoku jidai, dancing with the grass and lose garments of the people.
It was a beautiful moment...
"HENTAI!" shouted Sango angrily, followed by a very loud thwap. Two seconds later, Shippo came flying out of the woods.
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
Kagome pulled herself out of the well and took a deep breath. She walked towards the doors and pulled them open, letting the crisp Tokyo air glaze her face. She walked down the stairs one at a time, reaching the ground and putting her feet firmly still.
"This is good..." she whispered.
She put on her best smile and took in a deep breath. She walked quickly, until she reached a slight jog, as she headed for her house. "Mom! Sota! Grandpa!" she shouted cheerfully. "Tadaimaaa!"
The door flung open, and there was Sota. "Kagome!" he shouted. "You did come back for my birthday!"
She smiled warmly at her brother. "Of course!" she said. "Did you think I'd forget? Don't be silly, Sota."
He lost his little man cool and hugged his sister tightly. He pushed her away and gave her a questioning look.
"What is it, Sota?" she asked curiously.
"Is Inuyasha coming?" he asked in a small voice, as if afraid of her reaction.
She thought about it. Should she suprise him or let him know? "I'm not sure," she said. "I said it was your birthday though, so maybe he will show up."
Sota grinned. "I hope so! A birthday isn't a birthday without your hero!"
Kagome laughed as Sota turned around and dashed inside, gabbering on about Inuyasha or something. She followed him at a quickened pace and entered her house.
"Kagome!" said her mother. She ran over and hugged her daughter. "You've been in the Sengoku jidai for so long this time; we didn't know when you'd come back."
"I'm so sorry, Mom," said Kagome, pushing her mother away lightly. "Things have been... kinda hectic these past couple days."
"Ah, I see," said Mrs. Higurashi, with a nod. "Well, I'm so happy you're back now. We've missed you so much, especially Sota."
Kagome smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm gonna disappear for a few more minutes though, as I really need a nice warm bath."
Mrs. Higurashi laughed warmly. "Of course!" she said. "I'll have some food for you when you're done."
"Thanks," she said, before walking up the stairs to her room. She opened the door and stared inside, as a light wind from the open window made her curtains dance.
Her smile faded as her eyes wandered around the room. It looked so innocent. So pure. And at the moment, she felt isolated in her own room, as if it was mocking her entrance into the tidy walls.
She took a step forward and dropped her bag on the floor. She made the way to her bed and fell onto it without hesitation. It felt so nice to be in her bed again, after so long. But what she wanted more than a nap right now, was a long, hot bath. She grabbed a robe from her closet and made her way to the bathroom.
Kagome sat on the edge of the tub, and turned on the hot water, watching it fill its way to the top. When it was complete, she turned it off. She ran a finger across the top of the water, setting off a small ripple effect. She put the robe on the nearby sink and pulled off her socks. She sat still for a moment, before purposely falling off the side and into the water, uniform and all. She let herself go under, and felt the hot liquid stinging her every injury and open cut. The motions of the underwater waves played with her hair, sending it out in all directions.
She opened her eyes to a blurry vision. It stung a little, but she kept them open. A strand of raven hair crossed in front of her face. She could feel all lose ends of her clothes moving around in the water.
Feeling a lack of air, she pulled herself above the water and took a deep breath. A drop of water rolled down her cheek from her eye; She wasn't sure whether it was the hot water from the bath, or another hot tear escaping her.
Her dark hair clung to her head as she pulled her hands out of the water, sending off some splashes. The water from her palms dripped into the tub, sending off the tiny ripples once more. She fell backward and leaned against the back of the bathtub, letting her entire body being consumed by the water, except her head.
Her mind both wandered between thoughts and remained empty. "Home..." she whispered, sending bubbles to from her lips.
Kagome had lost track of time, just soaking in the hot water. There was a faint knock on the door, which brought her crashing back into reality.
"Ye-yes?" she asked, afraid of who it was.
"Kagome?" asked her mother. "You've been in there for an hour, are you all right?"
She pulled herself up so she was sitting in the water. "I'm fine mom," she said. "I'm getting out now."
"All right. I was just checking on you, sweetie," said Mrs. Higurashi.
"Sorry I worried you, mom," said Kagome, standing up in the tub, sending water splashing down from her clothes.
"Ok... See you downstairs," said her mother.
Kagome listened as her mother's footsteps headed down the hall, then down the stairs. When she heard no sounds anymore, she sighed. A strand of black hair went down the middle of her face and she carelessly pushed it aside. She snatched a towel and wrapped her hair up inside it.
She reached down, and began to let the water out of the tub. It drained around her ankles and she snatched another towel to dry herself down. "Better hurry..." she told herself. "I don't want mom to worry anymore than she already is..."
Within five minutes, she wrapped herself in the robe and was completely dry. She took the towel off her hair, and exited the bathroom, headed for her bedroom.
Once inside, she threw on a loose teeshirt and the most comfortable pants she owned. She ran a brush through her hair and tied it back loosely, just to get it out of her face. She drew in her breath, and headed downstairs, plastering a fake smile on her face.
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
"Two days!" shouted Sota randomly, later as the family of four sat in the living room. Kagome jumped a little, but no one noticed.
"We know Sota," said Mrs. Higurashi. "You've been telling us all day long."
"I'm happy though!" he said. "Hey Kagome, didn't you say Inuyasha was coming?"
"Huh? Oh, yes," she said. "I think so anyway."
"Yahoo!" shouted her little brother, leaping out of his chair and doing a little dance. Kagome laughed at him, in a sisterly way. "You laughing at me, Kagome?" he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her with a tiny grin.
"No," she said sarcastically. "Of course not."
She ducked as a pillow came flying in her direction, thrown by none other than Sota. They both erupted in laughter, and for a moment she had forgotten about the past.
"Mom, is it all right if me and my friends play around the shrine?" he asked. "Not in it, but run around outside?"
"I suppose so," she said. "But make sure you're careful. I don't want any injuries while you're enjoying yourselves."
Kagome froze.
Injuries while you're enjoying yourselves.
She closed her eyes tightly and drew in her breath. This caught the attention of her mother, who looked at her daughter curiously, but said nothing.
"I'm a little tired..." she said, stumbling to her feet. "I think I'll head it early. And you don't mind if I sleep in, do you?"
"Of course not," said her mother. "No school tomorrow, or for the next three days. Sleep as late as you want."
Kagome smiled. "Thanks, mom," she said. She bowed a small goodnight and headed upstairs. She reached the top, and looked back down, hearing her mother's gentle laughter, not doubt at something Sota had done. "Thanks mom..." she whispered. "You always seem to know just what to say..."
She walked in her room and closed the door gently behind her. A faint breeze came through the window, dancing with her curtains. She stumbled to her bed and collapsed on the sheets, burying her face in her pillow. Her face was emotionless, but silent tears poured down her face as she layed in the darkened room.
All she kept seeing was those haunting eyes, staring at her with a sinister glint. She felt a cold hand covering her mouth, preventing any words from escaping. She shot up and nearly screamed, before biting her lip to stop herself. She didn't want her family to worry. They were so happy right now, and they didn't deserve to be brought down by her.
She fell backward onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, hearing the city-night noises from outside her open window. She held her hand up in the air and stared at it, following its shape and all the turns.
She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. It was proving somewhat difficult, as each time she drew near to slumber, there it was - his sinister face, laughing in her own. Each time she saw it, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She glanced at her clock and inwardly groaned. It was nearly two now, and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Her house was full of an eerie silence, and she suddenly wished she was back in the Sengoku jidai, being watched over by him, her doggy eared hanyou. She couldn't wait till the morrow, when he would be there, watching over her once again.
The next time she looked to the clock, it was just about three thirty. She pounded her fist onto her pillow. "Dammit..." she whispered.
Little did she know, just outside her window, a very protective hanyou watched through the open window, ready to leap in at the slightest hint of need.
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as an airplane flew by with a very loud engine, right over her house. She sat up and clutched her chest, before calming down. "Stupid plane..." she grumbled as she yawned.
She glanced at her alarm clock. It was just about noon. "Waah!" she squeaked, throwing off her blankets and scrambling out of bed. "Guess I fell asleep last night at some point..." she told her self as she pulled out a pair of loose jeans and a dark blue tee shirt, throwing them carelessly on herself after stripping of the pajamas.
She made a pit stop at the bathroom to brush her teeth, before dashing down the stairs at top speed. "Sorry!" she said, skidding to a halt in the kitchen. "I guess I overslept."
"No worries," grinned Mrs. Higurashi, closing the fridge with the milk in her hand. "I'm going to make Sota's cake now."
"He wouldn't stop nagging, would he?"
"How'd you ever guess?" she laughed. "He's playing a video game right now, I believe. And grandpa's in the shrine, as usual. You seemed a bit out of it last night, so I thought I'd let you sleep in."
She smiled at her mother. "Thanks mom," she said. "I really did need the sleep."
"No problem," she said. "What are you up to today? Going to hang out with your friends?"
She shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow, but I want to just hang out for today. I miss being home, you know."
"Of course!"
For an unknown reason to her mother, Kagome walked forward and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. She was a bit shocked at this sudden burst of affection, but just smiled warmly as she embraced her daughter. Motherly instinct told her something was troubling her child, but she said nothing to her offspring. She'd allow her to come to her mother on her own.
"I love you mom," whispered Kagome, as she let go of her mother and backed out of the kitchen. She headed to the living room and clicked on the TV before mindlessly flipping through the channels.
Click. Click. Click.
Every channel was just a blurr. For all she knew, there could be nude people dancing in a forrest on the tube. Pushing the button repeatedly just seemed like the natural thing to do at the moment.
When her finger started to feel numb, she dropped the remote on the floor and stared at the TV. It was some cartoon and she didn't even try to figure out what was going on. Every part inside of her was screaming, but her body image said otherwise. She was completely blank. At a quick glance, one might think she was in a trance of some sort.
Some time later, she slapped her own face to wake herself up. "Don't be like this," she said to herself, getting to her feet quickly.
She left the living room and headed outside, bathing in the bright sun. She allowed a breeze to play with her hair, sending it in all directions. It was a very nice day, and she would not allow her mood to ruin it.
She walked around the shrine grounds for a while, killing off some time. She heard her grandfather mumbling some chant from the storage shed and had to laugh at his actions. He was always like that; He'd never change.
She sat on the stairs and looked down, watching the street below and the people that walked by, either chattering to a friend or daydreaming on their own. The day seemed just so perfect. Kagome wanted it to end for a brief moment, before realizing her thoughts and smacking herself over the back of the head. "It's just me..." she whispered.
When her stomach rumbled, she laughed at herself before standing up and heading back inside for some lunch or something. Her mother was no longer in the kitchen when she got there, so she just grabbed some ramen. She waited as it cooked, taking a long look at everything around her in the room. When it finally finished, she grabbed some chopsticks and headed back outside. Being outdoors in the Sengoku jidai so much sort of had this effect on her. She had become an outdoor person, wanting to be outside more often than in. She grinned as she sat once again on the stairs and waited for her ramen to cool down a little, before slowly eating two or three noodles at a time.
"How dare you eat ramen without me."
She slowly turned around and her face lit up. There he was, decked out in that ever familiar red haori, silver/white hair basking in the sun. She smiled happily when she saw him. "You did come," she said, patting the ground beside her for him to sit.
He nodded and placed himself next to her. "Of course I did," he said, stealing the chopsticks from her and eating some of her noodles.
She laughed when a noodle flew up and hit his face. She picked it off and put it back in the cup. "You never change," she said.
"And you thought I would?" he asked, giving back the lunch to its owner. They sat in silence for a good ten minutes, simply content sitting still where they were. "Hey," he said suddenly in a low voice. "You okay?"
She nodded once, but slowly. "I have to be..." she said, also lowly, folding her hands in her lap. "Being around my family has cheered me up, and it's been great."
Inuyasha nodded at her. "Everyone is worried about you," he said, staring straight ahead. "They think something is wrong."
"I don't know...what I want to do with that," she said. "I don't know if I should tell them or not."
"It's your choice," he said simply. "Whatever you decide, I'll respect it. But you know, I am going to kill him. The bastard'll die by my hands."
There was another few minutes of silence, before she leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes halfway. "I'm so glad you're here," she said softly.
Without thinking, Inuyasha found his hand making its way around her's and clutching it tightly. "Where else would I be?" he said back to her.
"Stay around," she said. "I'm sure Sota would be happy to let you stay in his room for a few days."
He grumbled. "He better not make me take a bath again..."
She laughed at the thought and looked up at him. "Don't worry," she said. "He's been on his biggest video game kick these past few days. He'll get you pushing random buttons on a controller for hours."
Inuyasha blinked at her in confusion. "And a video game is?"
She laughed again. "You'll see soon," she said, flipping their hands and looking at her own on top of his. "Just promise you'll stay."
"Promise."
"Thank you," she said, allowing their hands to fall to the ground. Once again, silence filled the air. This time it didn't seem to have an end. They simply sat there in the afternoon sun, with the occasional light breeze frolicking in the air around them. It really was the perfect day.
And yet it was not.
XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
MD: Meh, that's chapter three... Kinda just another filler chapter but whatever. Chapter four will probably skip some time and all... Psh, why I am saying this? Come back and read more! ::smile::
