Back Into The Well
By. Seelin
Disclaimer: He is not mine…If he were…my cats would eat him alive, cuz they are EVIL!
A/N: As I said in the last chapter…my computer killed everything. I wish it hadn't. Now it'll take me forever to rewrite it because I'm working on three HUGE essay things for school. So they will take up all of my time.
Shippo: You deleted us?
No, no, no! My computer deleted you.
Inuyasha: (Grabs Shippo's shoulder) It's ok runt. We'll just find somebody else.
NO! I mean…no…you can't. I have you locked up.
Inuyasha: Oh yeah? And where would that be?
In the deep realm of my mind.
Shippo: Make me some crayons!
Ok. Here ya go.
Miroku: Think me up a woman.
Uh…no.
Miroku: Why not? You can do anything with your imagination.
Well, I'm looking out for all of the character's best interests.
Inuyasha: Sure.
Chapter Five:
Invigorating Battle
Present Time
Inuyasha opened the window that led into Kagome's old room. He stepped in silently and walked to the door of the room. He peered down the hallway, noticing that there were three other doors leading into unknown rooms. He didn't have any need to go in any of them when he was younger. Slowly, he made his way down the hall, opening the doors and looking for Kagome. He only had to look in one room before he heard her whimper. Any slightest movement could have been detected by his sensitive hearing.
It was the last door in the hallway. He could sense her now. He opened the door with expert care not to make it creak. The room smelled salty from all the tears that had been shed there. He saw Kagome sprawled on the bed, rolling around as if she were having a nightmare. Inuyasha did not doubt this one bit. He walked closer, examining her. She started mumbling incoherent things and violently turned away from him. He could have sworn he heard her mumble his name but he couldn't be sure.
Little did Inuyasha know was that Kagome sensed his demonic powers and it immediately awoke her when he came near her side. Her eyes popped open as she mumbled, "Yasha?" She hesitated and decided not to move. She kept her breathing slow and tried to appear as if she were slumbering.
Inuyasha noticed that she had suddenly calmed down. He turned his back to her and sat down lightly, as to not awaken her. He took in her scent, which flooded his mind of both fond and painful memories. He knew that she could not hear him but he decided to ask her anyway, "Why did you leave?"
"You," was what Inuyasha got in reply.
He turned around slowly, in disbelief that she had actually heard him. He decided to ask her more questions that he needed answers to. "Why?"
Kagome had decided to play along when she heard his question. She actually hoped to rub her pain in his face. "Kikyo."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Kikyo? What about her?"
This appalled Kagome but she calmed herself and continued. "You kissed her."
"K…kissed her?" Inuyasha gulped, not knowing what he was in for.
"Saw you…" Kagome faked, getting angrier by the second.
"You saw me? I wasn't even there!" He exclaimed in low tones.
Kagome could take it no longer. He hurt her and he continued to deny it. "You pompous pig! I saw you and your dead woman making out in the clearing! You even looked at me and smiled when Kikyo paralyzed my body. That's how I knew you were doing it on purpose, you lying snake!"
Inuyasha was surprised that he didn't notice her heavy breathing, even in his confusion. He jumped back a few feet. "Kagome?" He gulped.
"Yes, I've been awake the whole time. Who do you think you are coming back here?!" She yelled.
Inuyasha, instead of being confused, became frustrated and angry, "Now listen here wench! Why the hell would I do that after what happened?"
Kagome wasn't ready for his retaliation, "Well, I saw you. Don't play games with me."
Inuyasha clenched his fists in anger, "Did you forget about Naraku after all of our battles?! Did you forget his power?! Did you forget about my promise to you?!"
Kagome wouldn't stand down, "No, I will never forget your promise. But how you broke that promise will stay burnt in my mind forever. You hurt me Inuyasha! I also remember how you always melted when Kikyo was around, why wouldn't that incident be any different from all the others?"
"Forget it! You'll never realize the truth, will you?" He yelled. "Besides, it should be me forgiving you instead of the other way around."
Kagome sneered, unbelieving of his words, even though they sunk deep, "Whatever Inuyasha. Why's that?"
"No!" he said defensively. "Why should I tell you? You don't even listen to me."
"Listen to you huh?" She asked coldly. "I'm through listening to you. Just leave."
"Fine! And I'm through chasing after you, too!" he yelled as he took off out of the room and out the open window.
Kagome contemplated chasing after him for a second but then decided that he deserved what he got. She could feel the chill flow in from the open window as she walked into her old room. She reached to close it, 'I can't believe Inuyasha came back after all this time. I mean, what was up with that?' She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. 'I don't really believe that Naraku crap. Besides, he's gone.'
Feudal EraAmaya lay in front of the fireplace, exhausted from crying. Miroku and Sango did their best to console the girl. She whimpered softly in her sleep. Sango rose and went into the bedroom, returning with a blanket in which she laid over Amaya's sleeping form. Amaya moved a little but soon settled back down.
Sango grabbed Miroku's hand fondly and beckoned him to follow her. He stood up and followed her into the bedroom where she pushed the sliding door closed. She pushed Miroku down so that he sat on the bed and stared up at her in confusion.
"So," Miroku started, "what's all this about?"
Sango beamed, she had been waiting so long for the right moment to tell him. "I'd wanted to tell you sooner, but with everything that's happened I figured I should wait."
Miroku looked around the room nervously, "Why is that? What's on your mind?"
Sango grabbed his hand and she sat down beside him. She then hugged him tightly.
Miroku's cool came back to him, "Oh, I think I know what it is now." He then gently pushed her down so that she lay on the bed.
"Miroku! Not that!" Sango giggled pushing an eager monk off her.
Miroku sighed, "If not that then what?"
Sango sat up and crawled over to where he now sat on the bed dismayed. "Well, I'm with child now."
Miroku's jaw dropped. "Oh, so that's why you've been so moody."
Sango scowled at him but he then let out a nervous laugh. "Hehe, I am kidding. This is wonderful news!"
She immediately put on a smile again and hugged Miroku with all of her might.
Suddenly they heard the door slam shut. Startled, they both went into the living area to see what was awry. When they entered the living area they saw Shippo standing next to the door. He looked at them and then to Amaya with a questioning gaze.
"What's going on?" Shippo asked gesturing to the sleeping girl.
Miroku filled Shippo in before motioning him to sit down in front of the fire.
Shippo nodded, "Oh I see." He glanced around the room, looking for something. "So, where's Aiko?"
"She left for the shrine a little while ago," Sango said. "Why don't you go get her? It's getting late."
Shippo nodded, "Alright. I'll be back soon." He stood up and walked out the door, this time shutting it gently.
Near the ShrineShippo followed Aiko's scent out to the shrine but when he arrived she wasn't there. Her scent lead him out into the woods. He jumped into the trees, figuring that he'd give her a little friendly scare. He glided from tree branch to tree branch with his demonic stealth. Finally he reached where her scent was the strongest and found her leaning against the same tree he was hiding in.
Aiko looked around, she felt an odd presence but couldn't put her finger on it. She started to hum, something she always did when she was nervous. She thought a nice refreshing walk in the woods would help her relieve all of her stress. She heard the leaves above her rustle and she stepped away from it quickly. 'Calm down. It's just the wind playing tricks with my mind. I hope,' Aiko reassured herself. She peered up into the tree just to make sure there was nothing lurking behind the foliage. As she stared at it the leaves moved. Or did they?
Before she could think about it any further something jumped down from the tree. She gasped and fell back. But she never hit the ground. Instead she was in the arms of Shippo. Instantly realizing what had happened she smacked Shippo upside his head.
"You baka! You scared me half to death," she yelled.
Shippo laughed a little, "Calm down I was just messing around."
She turned away from him and folded her arms against her chest, showing her disproval. "You still had no right."
Shippo sighed and grabbed her shoulder, "You're right I'm sorry. What's got you so wound up anyway?"
Aiko turned around to face him and glanced left and right, "I don't know. I've just got this weird feeling that something is here, watching us."
"No, I would smell it if something was out there," Shippo stated.
"Are you sure…because I could of swore that I felt a presence. And it doesn't feel friendly either," Aiko said nervously.
Shippo smiled, "Well in that case, I guess I'll have to protect you then."
Aiko blushed and turned away, "You have been around papa way to much. I suggest you stay away from him for your own good."
"Oh really? And why would that be?" Shippo asked.
Aiko glanced at him. He really had matured since the last time she saw him. His features were much more defined and he was defiantly taller. "You know perfectly well why."
"I guess I do," Shippo stated.
Aiko grabbed his arm, "Since you have offered to protect me, I propose you escort me on my walk through the woods."
"As much as I would like to, your parents want you to come home. So I suppose instead that I will escort you home," said Shippo as he turned her around towards the direction of her house.
"Fine by me," Aiko said happily.
A wind suddenly picked up, stopping the two where they stood. A figure loomed in the shadows, "Not by me it isn't."
Shippo suddenly remembered the strange scent he just picked up, "You again? I thought we defeated you!"
Aiko gripped Shippo's arm tightly in fear. She had left her only means of protection, her bow and arrows, at home. Shippo pushed her behind him and began doing what he told her he would do earlier.
"Why couldn't I pick up your scent? Usually I can smell your stench from miles away," Shippo said.
The figure in the shadows laughed menacingly, "I am much more powerful than you took me for when you last fought me young kitsune."
"Oh really?" Shippo scoffed. "I remember you running off with your tail between your legs."
"Shippo, who is that?" Aiko asked tightening her grip.
Shippo looked back at her briefly, "Just some Naraku wanna be. He followed the stories closely and called for demons to devour his body like Onigumo did." He stared down his foe.
"I don't understand," Aiko said.
"There's no time to explain, Aiko. Now when I give you the signal, I want you to run home and get help," Shippo instructed.
Aiko nodded, "Alright."
The shadowy figure took a step closer, "By all means let her run now. She won't get far, especially with that jewel around her neck. My minions have us surrounded. I will get what I came for."
Aiko shot a glare at the unknown demon, "I may be a girl, but my mother being a demon slayer and my father a monk, I think I know how to protect myself."
Shippo threw an acorn to the ground, which burst into a cloud of smoke, "Run now Aiko!"
Aiko broke into a dead sprint. She used her miko powers to scan the area for lesser demons. She could feel their aura but they made no move to attack her. She continued her run until she reached a clearing. There waiting for her was three disgustingly disfigured rat demons. They all looked as if their extremities were just slapped on. Suddenly she remembered that she wasn't unarmed. In fact her mother always made her carry daggers and such things inside her robes. The leader of the rat demons jumped at her without warning, but she was ready for it. She felled it with a single blow from a dagger she produced at the last minute. She clenched two smaller throwing daggers in her hands and chucked them at the remaining demons. She took off running again and could now feel the other demons come out of hiding and give chase. One demon was particularly close to her, right behind her to be exact. She summoned all of her remaining energy to go faster but this demon was much to swift for her to outrun. She felt it jump and she stopped, but it did not assault her. She quickly turned around to find it dead on the ground; the other demons were gone as well. From nowhere Sango dropped from the sky.
"Aiko!" Sango yelled as she ran to her daughter. She was dressed in her demon slayer outfit and had her boomerang slung across her back. "What happened?"
Aiko caught her breath, "Shippo's back there fighting some demon. Its aura is very strong. Hurry and help him, I'll come back with my bow."
"No," her mother said taking her by the shoulders. "It's to dangerous right now. Go home and watch over Amaya. She's there all alone."
"But!" Aiko protested.
"No buts. Just go," Sango said before she ran the direction Aiko had just come from. Up above, Miroku followed from the back of Kirara.
Obeying her mother's orders, Aiko headed towards her house in the village. The village looked deserted but Aiko knew that her parents told everyone to stay inside until the demon threat had been obliterated. She slowed down when she got to her house, everything looked fine. She opened the door and went inside. Amaya was sitting up with the blanket still wrapped around her and stared at Aiko.
"What's going on?" Amaya asked.
Aiko saw her bow and quiver full of arrows and grabbed them. She took a broom from against the wall and threw it to Amaya. "I don't really know myself except that there is some demon out there. Use that if anything happens. I don't know what good it'll do but it's better than nothing."
Amaya eyed the broom in her hands and nodded her approval. They heard a scrapping at the door. Aiko pulled out an arrow and aimed it at the door. Amaya was unsure of her-self but stood erect with the broom up and ready to swing like a baseball bat. The door opened and, unexpectedly, Shippo fell in.
The girls gasped in surprise and Inuyasha pushed open the door more, shoving Shippo's body further inside with his foot. He held Tetsusaiga in the air menacingly. The girls peered inside and saw a horde of the mutated rat demons outside, but there was an exception, they were much larger. Inuyasha seemed to be handling them with ease but they were never ending.
Inuyasha kept them at bay before yelling over his shoulder, "See to him. I found him outside the house surrounded by those things."
Aiko dropped her bow and ran over to Shippo who was unconscious but ok nonetheless. He had broken into a cold sweat so Aiko ran and fetched some water and rags. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was drawn further away from the house due to the onslaught of demons he was facing. With him being distracted, two of the demons slipped into the house unnoticed by the half demon. The girls were to busy with reviving Shippo to see them enter but they did hear the menacing growl. Aiko covered the jewel fragment with her hand, knowing that it was what they were after. Amaya took her broom and held it up protectively. 'Oh gosh. Two demons against a girl with a broom, how ironic…' She thought.
Inuyasha noticed that the demons had lured him away from the house and quickly slashed his way threw them to get into the house. He neatly sliced the closest intruding demon in half. With his back turned the horde took their chance and piled onto Inuyasha's back, knocking Tetsusaiga out of his grasp and onto the floor.
The remaining demon lurched forward. When it got close enough Amaya swung the broom at it but it snapped it into many splintered pieces with its jagged teeth. In desperation, she threw the remains of the broom at the demon, but it only angered it. Amaya could see it preparing to jump so when it did, she rolled to the side. When the demon recovered from its failed attempt it turned back to her with a renewed passion. Out of the corner of her eye, Amaya saw the fire glint off of something; the sword. She knew nothing about swords but it would work much better than an old broom. Keeping her eyes on her assailant she grabbed up the sword.
All the while, Inuyasha had a dozen or so mutated rats on top of him, trying to maul him to death. They were no match for him, one slash from his claws and they were done with. When he looked to retrieve his sword he found it in the hands of Kagome's brat. 'What the hell does that wench think she's doing?! It won't do her any…' Inuyasha was stopped dead in his thoughts.
All of a sudden the sword felt heavier in Amaya's hands. She couldn't hold it up any longer and she let it fall to the floor but still held on to the hilt. Suddenly she saw everything glow around her. It felt like some sort of wind had picked up around her and was blowing throughout her body. Everything tingled and she had the strangest sensation go through her muscles. She felt more aware of her body, more aware of her surroundings, more aware of everything. It seemed like eternity what had actually happened in a few seconds but when the glowing wind ceased to blow she felt more powerful. The old, rusty sword she had picked up had transformed and was much lighter than before. She picked it up and swung it with ease now.
From everyone else's point of view, when Amaya picked up the Tetsusaiga, she and the sword both transformed. After the glowing wind had died down they saw someone new standing before them, wielding the sword. She was different but the same. Her long raven hair was now silver in color. Her eyes were a mixture of brown and gold and her pupils had changed into vertical slits, which dilated and contracted until they adjusted to the light. Her mouth was slightly agape so they could faintly make out small fangs. Her hands now had claws and sitting on the top of her head were two small dog-ears, just like Inuyasha's.
Inuyasha stared at Amaya in disbelief, as did Aiko. The one remaining demon wasted no more time and jumped at Amaya. With her newfound senses, she gracefully decapitated the demon with the sword. After she slew the demon she threw down the Tetsusaiga and fell to her knees. She looked at her clawed fingers and flexed them. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of her hair. The silver color glinted in the light of the fire. She gasped and fell backwards, letting her knees go from under her.
"What…what happened to me?" Amaya asked still looking at her new body.
Aiko left Shippo's side and walked over to her. She examined Amaya's new appearance from head to toe. "I don't know," Aiko answered. "What did happen to you?"
Amaya shook her head confused. Inuyasha was still staring at her when he walked over to get a better look. Aiko and Amaya both looked to him for an answer but he just sat down against the wall, pondering over everything.
All of the other demons that were outside had fled, vanished actually. Aiko hear some noise come from outside and went to check it out. She thought that there might be some stray demon that had been left behind. When she looked she saw her mother and father riding on top of Kirara approaching the house. But there was an extra passenger behind her mother. It was Amaya's mother, Kagome. They arrived at the house and all of Kirara's passengers jumped off and headed into the house. Miroku and Sango entered first, saw Amaya, and gasped. Hearing her friends gasp Kagome pushed them aside and saw what had astonished them. She put her hand over her mouth and gasped. Inuyasha had stood up and looked questioningly at her. She looked at her daughter and then to Amaya.
"I can explain," were her only words.
---I told you all I wouldn't have any time to write…it's all sports fault! I swear! It's evil and I apologize for getting this out so late. It will never happen again. So uh…I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Happy Reading!
Inuyasha: Geez. What'd you do? Die?
No. I've been busy.
Miroku: And what could be more important than us? A boy perhaps?
Actually, graduating is more important at the moment.
Shippo: I thought you forgot about us.
No, no, no. I could never forget.
Inuyasha: Yeah right. Don't let her fool you. She forgot.
Don't tempt me Inuyasha. I'm not in the mood.
Inuyasha: What? It's not my fault you forgot about us.
Uh huh. I wouldn't go there if I were you.
Inuyasha: You did…admit it!
Inuyasha! You need to quit calling Kagome and Sango useless wenches. I don't care what you think, they shouldn't be thrown off the first cliff we come by. And Kagome's not fat.
Kagome & Sango: Inuyasha! (Gives death glare)
He deserves every blow they give out.
Next Chapter: Kagome's got some serious explaining to do. Basically this next chapter is an insight into the past. Stay tuned.