NOTES: So very sorry for the looooong delay! A great portion is justified... the rest is laziness... But we've moved and all sorts of things, and I get a load less computer time than I used to. I may not update again until late June or July, but that's because of moving again (back to where I get lots of comp time! Yes!). I just hope that my absence hasn't affected my writing... (; . ;)
DISCLAIMER: Rumiko Takahashi is the owner of Inu Yasha, etc... I'm not so broke anymore, but if you try to sue me, I swear I'll send my Attack Twinkies at you! (Oh yeah... by the way, I don't own anything about Twinkies either.... o.O; heh)
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Shippou stretched out his limbs as the sun peeked in on him. He had been sleeping closest to the window, so he was the first to be woken by the light. It didn't matter much to him, because the first thing he did was look at Kagome. She had slept and woken several times that night, always seeming afraid or ashamed, and sometimes both. He could smell it. However, she was asleep right now, so that was good enough for him. Rin was cozy on the other side of Kagome, looking as happy as other child could be.
Shippou got out of bed and exited the room, looking for Jaken. He had never trusted the toad-like youkai, but he needed to ask him a question that he didn't dare to ask Sesshoumaru, nor could he bring himself to ask Kagome. It had occurred to him that the scene in the bath last night had not been normal, but he didn't know if it was something scary, as Kagome's body language had suggested, or if it was just another thing that happened a lot and that he was just too young to understand. He could imagine Inu Yasha laughing at him for asking something so stupid, and then turning pink and pounding him into the ground once it came time to answer it. He caught up his breath upon seeing Jaken down the hallway, and he gathered all of his courage. He wasn't afraid so much of Jaken beating him, for he was used to being beaten a lot, but he was afraid that Jaken would immediately inform Sesshoumaru of the young youkai's question. Still, he had to ask...
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Jaken turned around to the shrill little voice of the kitsune. He didn't have much respect for that kid, but at the moment it seemed he was a guest. He'd indulge the brat, and maybe he'd get good information for later.
"Um, Jaken-sama..." Shippou's stance was determined and a little embarrassed. Maybe this would be interesting, after all, if not useful. "What... what does it mean when... a girl turns red and a boy is smiling oddly... I mean, what does it mean if they are both naked and the girl acts a little scared but won't run.... Um..." Jaken stood in a stupor at hearing this, at first thinking that maybe the child had done something to Rin. Not that he liked the girl or anything, of course, but she had become a part of his and Sesshoumaru's life by now. He was about to make comment when the kitsune finally spilled the last of his question.
"I mean... I'm not saying that he did anything bad, but he scared Kagome... and I want to know why. Please, do you know?" Shippou bowed humbly, knowing that he was probably pushing himself onto a dangerous wire. Jaken was already turning all shades of blue and red, and it wasn't a pretty sight. He seemed in between screaming and fainting.
In fact, Jaken did have to sit down. Sesshoumaru and that human woman, with him smiling--SMILING, of all things!-- and they both being in the nude... It was too much for this faithful servant to bear. It was a lie, it had to be; yet the kitsune's expression proved his honesty. If that wasn't enough, he had to come up with a suitable answer as well, and one that wouldn't cause either Sesshoumaru or Kagome to kill him. Joy.
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Kikyou looked at Inu Yasha again. She had been resting until now, but he hadn't stopped even once. She could even see the village now, and it wouldn't be long before they were at her little sister's hut. She caught herself wishing that they had been further away, because being in his arms now felt right. She also caught herself wondering how long this would last. Would he really keep his word and bring her back to life, or would he use her to get Kagome back? She knew how he felt about Kagome. He protected her and watched over her with his life. He wouldn't even let her touch the young miko, so how could she begin to think that he loved her more than her reincarnation?
Almost in response to her questioning thoughts, his grip tightened around her. They were there, and the sun was beginning to come up. Her poor little sister, she thought. No matter how old she was now, she was still about to wake her sister this early to give her a shock, to say the least.
They entered the hut, and prepared themselves for the upcoming confrontation.
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Kaede sat in her hut, face-to-face with her deceased sister and the hanyou lover of the dead. Inu Yasha had taken the time to explain to Kikyou the importance of the well, and Kaede was left to tell Kikyou the current state of the well.
"Then my reincarnation cannot make it back home unless this well is fixed." Kikyou's gaze looked as horrible as it had ever been. Her chance at being herself again, and at having gotten rid of her reincarnation in the best way, were running like water through her fingers, and Inu Yasha seemed again a dream that could only happen in Hell. Kaede nodded.
"We have tried to bring it back. Indeed, the well looks as well as it has ever been, but we do not know if it will work. We have not found any bones in it, nor has there been any way to test the ability to travel through it. Inu Yasha, you may be able to test that. You have gone through the well several times now, and as such should be able to do so again."
Inu Yasha flinched. He didn't think he'd be able to face Kagome's family right now, if they saw him. After all, he did just leave her safety in the hands of a youkai-killer, a perverted monk, a fire-kitten, and a child. What would he say to them if they asked how Kagome was doing? What if they asked her to come home? He may have chosen Kikyou, but that didn't mean he didn't care at all for Kagome. She was just... a friend. That he'd die for.
Still, she had to go home. She was always in danger when she was with him, or even in the same world as him, and she would pull herself behind with all of her schooling--she would always say so herself-- and she only fell behind because she was with him. This time around, he'd send her home and THEN destroy the well... and he'd make sure it stayed that way. Then she would be safe, and Kikyou would be able to be with him again. Win-win, he thought to himself with a grim demeanor. Who was he fooling? He knew he'd miss Kagome's being around, as would Shippou and the others.
"It's for the best." He stood up and went outside. It was time to test the new well.
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Kagome woke up, unwillingly waking Rin at the same time. The two dressed for the day and Kagome sent Rin to breakfast. She wasn't very hungry at the moment. She had been having dreams all through the night. She wondered how she could have even dreamed so much in so short a time. However, they were all the same, or at least the same topic. Only location was different for each one.
In her dreams, she had been walking, to where she did not know. It didn't much matter, because she never reached her goal. Two hands would reach around her shoulders, and she would feel a body press behind her into her back. The hands moved to become arms around her, holding onto her as if she would fade away into nothingness if they let go. Indeed, she would feel the same way, as if she would be alone forever if the arms left her, or if the pressure on her back faded. She would hear a whisper in her ear, but she could never remember what was said. Then, however, she would always find something with a reflective surface, and she would always see the same thing looking back at her.
Two stripes marking each cheek, and a crescent centering the forehead, framing beautiful golden eyes and a wicked grin. That is all she saw. It did not matter that nothing else was to be seen; not a nose or a hair, nor skin or even herself. She knew who it was behind her, and what was on his mind. Then, she would wake up. She woke in a sweat, but her only fear was the meaning behind the dreams. Did she harbor feelings for this man-- this youkai-- and if so, did he feel the same way about her? It bothered her to think so, if only because of who she knew him to be.
He was cold, emotionless, and a precise killer who would threaten his own brother's life for a sword. He was a man who would kill human and youkai alike... but then again, didn't he also travel with a human child and protect her? Did he not have at least one faithful follower in both worlds, youkai and human? Besides, he hadn't killed Kagome yet, and that was promising, despite the incident the night before.
She turned the corner and, upon feeling something, stopped dead.
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Sango and Miroku were riding Kirara in order to avoid the most of the guards. Sure, they were running around below them, but fortunately very few could fly, and those that could were easy enough to beat. They flew straight over the top of and to the back of the building, efficiently leaving all the ground's guards to have to run around the building or through it. Given their momentary peace, they found a back entrance and made their way in. None of the servants dared to protest it.
They walked quietly and got lost about ten times while dodging guards or servants. Stealth would be their best bet until they found Kagome, and then they would take the direct method to get away. Their method worked. There was Kagome, just ahead of them in the hallway and not a soul else around her. Miroku rushed up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, and did his usual routine with his other hand. Sango slapped him, but Kagome seemed quite frozen this time.
"Kagome? Are you okay? Where's Shippou?" Sango walked in front of Kagome, and thus relieved the miko of her trance.
"Sango! Miroku! How did you get in? Oh! Shippou... I was just looking for him. He must have woken before I did... Where is Inu Yasha?" She had noticed how quiet it was. He was never this quiet when rescuing her, and certainly rescue from his own brother would be no different. If anything, it would be more noisy this time around. Sango shook her head, and Miroku sidled the topic.
"First let us find Shippou and leave, and then we will discuss Inu Yasha."
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Jaken left the room to Shippou. Shippou had never gotten the answer to his question, but he had one thing made clear to him. Kagome and he should leave, and soon. Apparently, Sesshoumaru would be making another of his frequent trips through the land, and that would be the perfect time to leave. The guard wouldn't dare lay a hand on her now that she's become more of a reluctant guest than a prisoner, and so it would be simple to sneak out. Shippou went back toward the room he had been getting used to sleeping in, and wondered how he could say good-bye to Rin without actually saying good-bye.
In his train of thoughts, he managed to walk right into Kirara, just in time to hear Miroku's final comment about leaving. Shippou announced his entrance with "you mean... we're leaving now?"
Kagome bent down and hugged the kitsune. "Yes, we really should leave. You know that we don't belong here. Sango, Miroku, please give me just a moment. I want to leave something for Rin, so she doesn't think so ill of us for leaving like this." With that, Kagome ran back to their shared room with Shippou at her heels. Kagome didn't have much, due to her sudden departure, but she had been wearing an old necklace of hers when she was taken. It wasn't much; it was something like a child would get from a candy machine or for a prize at a fair. Still, in this world it would be one-of-a- kind, and it was all she carried with her to leave behind. Shippou left one of his kitsune tricks behind, knowing that Rin would never have any real use for it, but he also had nothing better to leave.
With that, the group ran for it.
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NOTES: Sorry... I'm not going to reply to the last batch of reviews this time... I have to go through them again, and that means digging them all up again. Don't worry, I'll get to the ones that had questions, but for now it'll just stay silent. Thanks for sticking about, and I hope I haven't caused too much trouble! 'Til next chapter, ja matta ne!!