I know Sango was a bit OOC in the last post, goosing Inu Yasha and all ^_^, but so what? She'd had a hard life, and I wanted to see her lighten up in her later years.
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Prisoners: the Bone Eater's Well
Coping
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**right after Kagome talked to Inu Yasha through the Sacred tree.**
Kagome sat crying softly, the shard of the shikon jewel cupped gently in her hands. She was still wearing the shawl her mother had placed lightly around her shoulders, even though the snow had long since begun to thaw with the sunny weather now beaming happily down upon her.
*I guess Inu Yasha and the others beat Menomaru... I hope everyone's alright.* Not any of them would survive to this time, anyway. After all, if Inu Yasha or Shippo had survived, they would be here now, wouldn't they? Be here for her when she really needed them. She walked over to run her hands across the time tree... *I wonder if I could speak to Inu Yasha again through this...* she jerked her hands away suddenly as she felt the tree move.
"What-?" she had only seconds to wonder as the tree teetered and fell back, away from the house, it's mighty roots facing Kagome. "No, no!" Kagome sank down to her knees, her head buried in her hands.
"What's all that noise?" Kagome heard her mother call from inside the house. Kagome turned away from the tree to look toward the house, where Sota's face was staring out a window.
"Mom! Kagome pushed over the sacred tree!"
Her mother and grandfather were running out of the house and by her side moments later, quickly followed by Sota. "Oh, no..." whispered her mother, surveying the damage.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Kagome cried, before being silenced by her mother's hug.
"Shh, Kagome, it's not your fault... this tree has lasted generations, you couldn't have destroyed it with just one push. This tree was just ready to fall..."
"The Sacred tree..." her grandfather wailed, "Gone... what will look after out family now?" Everyone bowed their heads at this sobering thought, and there were more than a few tears.
Sota sniffed and looked skyward, "Hey, where did *that* tree come from?" he pointed excitedly.
"Eh?" the old guardian of the Sunset Shrine followed his grandson's gaze and gasped, "It's the Sacred tree! Growing out of the old well house!!! Come, boy, we must construct an altar to it!!" After a brief and muttered prayer over the fallen Sacred tree, Sota helped his grandfather move the paper prayers, tables, and altar items to the well house, "This may work out to our advantage, Sota, as there is already a roof there... No more praying in the rain!"
Kagome stood with her eyes full of tears watching them work, "They don't understand..."
Her mother looked down on her with kind eyes, "I do, Kagome. This tree meant a lot to me, too. Perhaps by falling, the Sacred tree was trying to tell us something. Maybe it was saying that it's time for us to move on, to let go-"
Kagome sniffed, "You don't understand, either," she muttered, "'What does the tree growing of the well house mean?' It means that I'll never see my friends again. 'What does the Sacred Tree falling mean?' It means that I won't even be able to speak to Inu Yasha again," Kagome's tears were leaving trails in the dirt and blood still on her face, from when her body was controlled by Menomaru, and she had tried to kill Inu Yasha, the last time she'd seen him. "Don't you see, Mom? It's the same way I would feel if you or Sota or grandpa was suddenly taken away..."
Her mother put an arm around her, "Like when your father died," the older woman let out a long sigh, "I thought that I would never be truly happy again, but I looked to those I loved," her mother sighed, "I won't lie to you, Kagome, it took years, and it still hurts sometimes, but eventually you realize that those you love never truly leave you. Not as long as you remember them."
Kagome took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I don't think I can stay here, mother. As soon as I'm able, I'm going to leave this shrine... the memories just hurt too much." Though she tried to stop them, renegade tears still escaped her eyes, steadily flowing down her cheeks.
Her mother gave her shoulder a squeeze, "You have plenty of time to think about that, Kagome. For now I think you should just try to get some rest." Kagome didn't argue as her mother led her gently back to the house.
*****
**one year later**
Kagome smiled happily to Yuka. Her friend's party was a complete success, and Kagome was happy for her. She held out the tray of delicious looking hors d'oeuvres to one of the guests.
*Yes,* Kagome reflected, setting down the tray briefly to smooth a wrinkle in her uniform, *the only problem with this party is that I'm too busy being the maid to enjoy it.* Still, it was a good position, and Kagome was glad to have it as a summer job. The pay was decent, she had some time off, and she didn't have to live at the shrine.
Now all she needed was another job just like it, but closer to the college she wanted to attend in Tokyo. Her mother wanted her to move back home and let her pay for college, but she didn't want to be a burden. Besides, she wanted to be somewhere away from the shrine and the well, where her memories could stop hounding her. *Hounding... hounds... dogs... Inu Yasha... damn it! Why can't I stop thinking about him!*
Kagome shook her head, trying to clear it, and went to the kitchen to get the drinks.
*****
Kagome had made the rounds in the ballroom before she headed out to Yuka on the balcony, where she was talking to a woman that looked to be in her early forties. She was almost out the door when she was accosted by one of the guests.
"Hi, Kagome!"
Kagome sighed obviously, "Hello Hojo..." it was true that the boy was just being nice, but after almost three years, he was becoming quite annoying.
The bright eyed boy didn't seem to notice her displeasure, "So, how have you been?"
"I'm fine Hojo... would you like a drink?" Kagome offered him the tray.
"No, thanks, but I wanted to ask you-"
Kagome smiled brightly, "Well, then, I'd better head on, work, you know..."
Hojo looked disappointed for an instant, then his usual charming smile was back, "Oh yeah, sure, well, see ya later!" Kagome nodded politely as she breezed past the boy and out to Yuka.
Yuka and the woman were laughing quietly in the pleasantly cool night air. Kagome cleared her throat to get their attention, "Drinks?"
The older woman took one, but Yuka waved them away impatiently, "Ms. West, this is Kagome, the girl I was just telling you about. Kagome is thinking about attending Tokyo University in the fall."
"Is that so?" Ms. West smiled happily, "Well, it just so happens that my husband and I are thinking about buying a house very near Tokyo University, but we'll be needing a live in maid, a sort of assistant for me, really... would you be interested, Kagome?"
The woman's brown eyes held nothing but warmth, and Kagome found herself liking her instantly. She believe her luck, "Oh yes, very..."
"Wonderful! Here," she opened her evening bag and wrote seven digits on a scrap of paper with an eye liner pencil, "give me a call sometime." She pressed the paper into Kagome's free hand.
Kagome accepted it gratefully, "I will, absolutely. Oh thank you, I can't tell you-"
"Oh Kagome, look!" Yuka interrupted, "There's Hojo, and he looks thirsty, come on!"
Kagome's smile became rather fake, "Oh yes, let's," she said through gritted teeth.
Ms. West watched them leave, a sly look on her face. She was so focused on watching Kagome, she didn't notice the man sneak up from behind her to grab her around the waist, "Oh!" the man then grabbed her hand and spun her around smoothly, to face him, "Oh, it's you, darling. You just missed Yuka's little maid... I think she's just what we've been looking for!" she smoothed the man's white hair back, out of his face, "Though we will be needing to buy a home near Tokyo University."
"My sweet, you really are too kind, you know that?" The amber eyed man smiled at his wife of four hundred and seventy three years and as he pulled her in for a kiss.
**********
Hahahahahahahaha! TBC!
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Prisoners: the Bone Eater's Well
Coping
**********
**right after Kagome talked to Inu Yasha through the Sacred tree.**
Kagome sat crying softly, the shard of the shikon jewel cupped gently in her hands. She was still wearing the shawl her mother had placed lightly around her shoulders, even though the snow had long since begun to thaw with the sunny weather now beaming happily down upon her.
*I guess Inu Yasha and the others beat Menomaru... I hope everyone's alright.* Not any of them would survive to this time, anyway. After all, if Inu Yasha or Shippo had survived, they would be here now, wouldn't they? Be here for her when she really needed them. She walked over to run her hands across the time tree... *I wonder if I could speak to Inu Yasha again through this...* she jerked her hands away suddenly as she felt the tree move.
"What-?" she had only seconds to wonder as the tree teetered and fell back, away from the house, it's mighty roots facing Kagome. "No, no!" Kagome sank down to her knees, her head buried in her hands.
"What's all that noise?" Kagome heard her mother call from inside the house. Kagome turned away from the tree to look toward the house, where Sota's face was staring out a window.
"Mom! Kagome pushed over the sacred tree!"
Her mother and grandfather were running out of the house and by her side moments later, quickly followed by Sota. "Oh, no..." whispered her mother, surveying the damage.
"I-I'm so sorry!" Kagome cried, before being silenced by her mother's hug.
"Shh, Kagome, it's not your fault... this tree has lasted generations, you couldn't have destroyed it with just one push. This tree was just ready to fall..."
"The Sacred tree..." her grandfather wailed, "Gone... what will look after out family now?" Everyone bowed their heads at this sobering thought, and there were more than a few tears.
Sota sniffed and looked skyward, "Hey, where did *that* tree come from?" he pointed excitedly.
"Eh?" the old guardian of the Sunset Shrine followed his grandson's gaze and gasped, "It's the Sacred tree! Growing out of the old well house!!! Come, boy, we must construct an altar to it!!" After a brief and muttered prayer over the fallen Sacred tree, Sota helped his grandfather move the paper prayers, tables, and altar items to the well house, "This may work out to our advantage, Sota, as there is already a roof there... No more praying in the rain!"
Kagome stood with her eyes full of tears watching them work, "They don't understand..."
Her mother looked down on her with kind eyes, "I do, Kagome. This tree meant a lot to me, too. Perhaps by falling, the Sacred tree was trying to tell us something. Maybe it was saying that it's time for us to move on, to let go-"
Kagome sniffed, "You don't understand, either," she muttered, "'What does the tree growing of the well house mean?' It means that I'll never see my friends again. 'What does the Sacred Tree falling mean?' It means that I won't even be able to speak to Inu Yasha again," Kagome's tears were leaving trails in the dirt and blood still on her face, from when her body was controlled by Menomaru, and she had tried to kill Inu Yasha, the last time she'd seen him. "Don't you see, Mom? It's the same way I would feel if you or Sota or grandpa was suddenly taken away..."
Her mother put an arm around her, "Like when your father died," the older woman let out a long sigh, "I thought that I would never be truly happy again, but I looked to those I loved," her mother sighed, "I won't lie to you, Kagome, it took years, and it still hurts sometimes, but eventually you realize that those you love never truly leave you. Not as long as you remember them."
Kagome took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I don't think I can stay here, mother. As soon as I'm able, I'm going to leave this shrine... the memories just hurt too much." Though she tried to stop them, renegade tears still escaped her eyes, steadily flowing down her cheeks.
Her mother gave her shoulder a squeeze, "You have plenty of time to think about that, Kagome. For now I think you should just try to get some rest." Kagome didn't argue as her mother led her gently back to the house.
*****
**one year later**
Kagome smiled happily to Yuka. Her friend's party was a complete success, and Kagome was happy for her. She held out the tray of delicious looking hors d'oeuvres to one of the guests.
*Yes,* Kagome reflected, setting down the tray briefly to smooth a wrinkle in her uniform, *the only problem with this party is that I'm too busy being the maid to enjoy it.* Still, it was a good position, and Kagome was glad to have it as a summer job. The pay was decent, she had some time off, and she didn't have to live at the shrine.
Now all she needed was another job just like it, but closer to the college she wanted to attend in Tokyo. Her mother wanted her to move back home and let her pay for college, but she didn't want to be a burden. Besides, she wanted to be somewhere away from the shrine and the well, where her memories could stop hounding her. *Hounding... hounds... dogs... Inu Yasha... damn it! Why can't I stop thinking about him!*
Kagome shook her head, trying to clear it, and went to the kitchen to get the drinks.
*****
Kagome had made the rounds in the ballroom before she headed out to Yuka on the balcony, where she was talking to a woman that looked to be in her early forties. She was almost out the door when she was accosted by one of the guests.
"Hi, Kagome!"
Kagome sighed obviously, "Hello Hojo..." it was true that the boy was just being nice, but after almost three years, he was becoming quite annoying.
The bright eyed boy didn't seem to notice her displeasure, "So, how have you been?"
"I'm fine Hojo... would you like a drink?" Kagome offered him the tray.
"No, thanks, but I wanted to ask you-"
Kagome smiled brightly, "Well, then, I'd better head on, work, you know..."
Hojo looked disappointed for an instant, then his usual charming smile was back, "Oh yeah, sure, well, see ya later!" Kagome nodded politely as she breezed past the boy and out to Yuka.
Yuka and the woman were laughing quietly in the pleasantly cool night air. Kagome cleared her throat to get their attention, "Drinks?"
The older woman took one, but Yuka waved them away impatiently, "Ms. West, this is Kagome, the girl I was just telling you about. Kagome is thinking about attending Tokyo University in the fall."
"Is that so?" Ms. West smiled happily, "Well, it just so happens that my husband and I are thinking about buying a house very near Tokyo University, but we'll be needing a live in maid, a sort of assistant for me, really... would you be interested, Kagome?"
The woman's brown eyes held nothing but warmth, and Kagome found herself liking her instantly. She believe her luck, "Oh yes, very..."
"Wonderful! Here," she opened her evening bag and wrote seven digits on a scrap of paper with an eye liner pencil, "give me a call sometime." She pressed the paper into Kagome's free hand.
Kagome accepted it gratefully, "I will, absolutely. Oh thank you, I can't tell you-"
"Oh Kagome, look!" Yuka interrupted, "There's Hojo, and he looks thirsty, come on!"
Kagome's smile became rather fake, "Oh yes, let's," she said through gritted teeth.
Ms. West watched them leave, a sly look on her face. She was so focused on watching Kagome, she didn't notice the man sneak up from behind her to grab her around the waist, "Oh!" the man then grabbed her hand and spun her around smoothly, to face him, "Oh, it's you, darling. You just missed Yuka's little maid... I think she's just what we've been looking for!" she smoothed the man's white hair back, out of his face, "Though we will be needing to buy a home near Tokyo University."
"My sweet, you really are too kind, you know that?" The amber eyed man smiled at his wife of four hundred and seventy three years and as he pulled her in for a kiss.
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Hahahahahahahaha! TBC!