Chapter Three

Back Down the Well

"Ha ha! C'mon and show us what you've been hiding underneath that hat of yours, Higurashi! Whatcha hiding?" taunted the ringleader of the bullies at Sakamoto Middle School. It was the end of the day and Akima Higurashi was, as usual, fighting the top bullies at SMS, the Threes. They called themselves One, Two, and Three and they took great pleasure in harassing Akima.

"Back off," Akima growled. She bared her teeth at the Threes, her fangs visible. The torque was snug fit on her head, hiding her dog-demon ears from view. She didn't want to give the kids at school anything more about her to laugh about. She was already an outcast.

"Aww, the little girl wants us to stay away. How cute that she's trying to be tough like us," Two remarked.

"You bastards! I'm gonna kick your asses so hard you won't be able to sit down for a week," Akima snapped. One snuck from behind her and snatched the torque off of her head. Her fuzzy, white dog ears were visible for all the world to see. They knew her secret.

"You... freak! You're nothing but a freak!" Three yelled in disgust. Akima was stunned. How dare those bastards tell her she was a freak. Without thinking, Akima got on all fours and charged at the Threes. Like a dog, she pounced at them and pulled at their clothing with her teeth. One punched Akima off of Three and Two kicked her in the stomach.

"You're nothing but a freak," One repeated, dropping the torque on the ground as he and his goons walked away. Akima got up slowly, wiping her bottom lip and noticing that it was bleeding and busted.

"Damn," Akima cursed. She put the torque back on her head and grabbed her bookbag. Akima began her walk home. She lived in Tokyo with her mother, Kagome Higurashi, who was always getting asked out by Hojo. She never knew who her real father was. Kagome said that they separated a long time ago, about three months before she found out she was pregnant with Akima.

From her mother, Akima had inherited long black hair and a curiosity that often got her in trouble. From her unknown father, Akima had inherited white doggy ears, hazel eyes, claws, and a dirty mouth as well as knack for fighting and getting in trouble. Akima didn't have any friends. Most of the kids at school ignored her and thought she was nothing but a troublemaker. Sure, Akima got suspended from school a lot for fighting, cursing ant the teachers, etc., but she was still a good kid deep down.

Akima ran up the stairs of their apartment. She opened the door, and saw her mother already home. Kagome had on a cotton dress and a sweater. Even though she was only twenty-eight years old, Kagome still had the body of a teenager.

"Hey, Mom. Are you okay?" Akima asked, petting the pet dog K-Kun and making two cups of tea. Kagome shook her head.

"I'm just fine, Akima. I was cleaning out my bedroom when I found my old photo album," Kagome said, a gold-covered book lying across her lap. Akima came from out of the kitchen and sat on the couch next to her mother.

The photo album had a bunch of pictures of people that Akima didn't know. But Kagome seemed to know them, because she was smiling. That was a first because Akima always saw her sad and dreamy, as if floating through life as a dream.

"Mom, who are these people?" Akima asked, pointing to a picture that took up the whole page. It was a group photo and looked like Kagome was having a really good time. Kagome(fourteen years younger) was dressed in a blue kimono, with four people Akima didn't know. One was a tall girl with brown hair, dressed in a pink kimono with white lilies on it. Another was a tall man with brown hair in a purple kimono, the obi around his waist loosened. A young boy with a tail with a balloon in his hand stood next to the tall man. The last person was a tall man with long white hair and hazel eyes, hugging Kagome's waist. They were all smiling happily.

"They are all friends from a long time ago. The girl is named Sango, the man in the purple is named Miroku, the fox demon is named Shippo, and the tall man in the red is...is...," Kagome's voice turned to a whisper. "Inuyasha."

"Oh, they look really cool. Especially Inuyasha. He looks like a total hottie, and look! He even has dog ears and hazel eyes like me. You don't think he could be my father, do you?" Akima asked.

Kagome turned to the window. "Akima, I want you to have this. I don't think I can bear to look at this, honey. It brings back too many memories for me. Besides, I think it'll be useful to you. You'll see a lot of pictures with my old friends in them."

Akima looked at her mother. She looked so sad and dazed, like she was trying to forget something. She almost didn't notice the tea kettle whistling to signal the tea was ready.

"Mom, the tea is ready," Akima called. But Kagome wasn't listening. Kagome was in her bedroom, sobbing.

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Early that Saturday morning, Akima was busy packing the bag to go to her grandmother's house. Her Uncle Souta would be there, and even Great-grandpa was gonna be there. She packed a few things in her knapsack: the photo album, a extra set of clothes, three hats from her hat collection, her horoscope book, and her notebook in which she wrote everything down in. Akima wanted to be a writer when she grew up.

Akima went to her dresser and put in the necklace that her mother gave her last year on her 12th birthday: a golden chain with a half-completed pink Jewel at the end. Kagome said it was very valuable and that Akima should never lose it. Akima put a long-sleeved green striped shirt, a vest, and a pair of jeans. She tucked the necklace under her shirt as she put on one of her crazy socks on: one purple with pokadots on them and one orange with a yellow monkey on it.

(A/N: All I had to do for this was look at my own clothes. I love wearing mismatched socks.)

Akima went in the kitchen and set her knapsack down on the couch. she heard the shower in the background and knew that it was her mother. So, Akima put on the apron and decided to make two egg, cheese, and ham omelets for her and her mom. Akima was kinda surprised when she heard the doorbell ring. She hurried and answered it, but found out it was only Hojo. She let him in.

"Hello, Ama," Hojo said.

"My name is Akira, Hobo."

"Hey, respect your elders, young lady. What would your mother think if she found out that you were disrespectful?" Hojo said, setting his bouquet of daisies on the table. Akima turned the omelet in the pan.

"Mom hates daisies. Her favorites are lilies," Akima mumbled. She tightened the grip the hat had on her head, making sure Hojo didn't see her dog ears. He didn't know she was a half-demon.

Kagome emerged from the bathroom a moment later, dressed in a jersey and a short skirt. Her hair was in a high ponytail, still wet from the shower. Akima hugged her mother softly, and put the ham omelet on the table. Akima smiled as she heard Hojo's stomach growl. She had let K-Kun eat the scraps of the omelet.

When Akima and Kagome were finished eating, they all went into Hojo's Volkswagen. Akima had to sit by the window, her legs propped up on top of a box. They smelled really funny. As they got on the highway, Akima took out her notebook and began to write in the following entry.

(Tuesday)

April 7th

Today we're gonna go see Grandma, Uncle Souta, and Great-Grandpa. My horoscope today sounds really mysterious. I have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen, or at least something out of the ordinary. Oh, my horoscope. Today it says:

Aquarius(January 20-February 18)-Today is a very important day for you. Be ready for surprises. Questions that you've had for a long time will finally be answered. Reunions today might not be happy, and most of all shock will come upon you. You will quickly trade happiness for sadness, anger, and hurt.

Akima closed her notebook as they parked in front of the Higurashi shrine. Akima grabbed her knapsack and climbed out of the car with her mother. Hojo stayed in the car, thinking for a reward he would get a kiss or a date from Kagome, or even better. But she just ignored him.

Akima turned around for a minute to talk to Hojo.

"Listen, Hobo. I don't like the idea of you hitting on Mom all of the time just because you want to get into her pants. You're not my father so stop trying to pretend you are, you damn bastard." Akima spit out the last word as if it were venom. Hojo got angry, and hurriedly drove away.

Akima and Kagome went up the steps to the Higurashi Shrine. Mrs. Higurashi was there, sweeping the shrine steps. Akima immediately put a smile on her face, tore off the baseball cap she was wearing, and ran to her grandmother. Mrs. Higurashi dropped the broom and hugged her granddaughter back.

"Hi, Grandma! Did you miss me?" Akima asked. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled.

"Yes, Akima. I missed you," Mrs. Higurashi replied. They stopped hugging and Mrs. Higurashi went over and gave Kagome a hug and a kiss. Kagome gave a faint smile at her mother.

"Kagome, are you alright dear? You seem a bit tired," Mrs. Higurashi asked worriedly.

"No, I'm just a bit tired. I think I'll go take a nap in the guest room, okay?" Mrs. Higurashi nodded and Kagome walked into the house and up the stairs. Akima and her grandmother stayed outside for a little while longer, sitting on the bench in front of the Sacred Tree.

"Is Kagome alright? She seems really dazed and apathetic. Is something the matter with her?" Kagome's mom asked Akima.

"No, she's always like this. She's nothing but an empty shell, floating through life as if a dream. I can hear her at night, praying for us and those people from the photo album: Miroku, Sango, Shippo and especially Inuyasha. She prays for Inuyasha all the time. Then, she cries herself to sleep. Was Mom always so tired like this, Grandma?" Akima asked.

"No. She was once like you: vibrant, happy, and energetic. She just haven't recovered from the argument she had with your father," Mrs. Higurashi counted her fingers. "About fourteen years from this day."

"Why does she pray for that Inuyasha guy so much? Is he that important to Mom?" Akima asked.

"Inuyasha. They used to travel around together, and he would often send her coming home either in tears or in a raging fury."

"So, he wasn't exactly prince charming, huh?" They both laughed at the joke.

"But, they always made up. She loved him so much, with all of her heart and soul. They were forever bonded by the red thread of fate. Always protecting each other, shedding tears for the other's sake, and even being there come hell or high water. They were closer that any couple could ever be. But that was fourteen years ago." Mrs. Higurashi got the broom and held it tightly in her hand.

"This is the Sacred Tree. It has been in this family for generations. It remembers all the happy and sad times of our lifelines. And it even remembers Kagome and Inuyasha. I think if you listen hard enough, it'll tell you the path to finding out who your father is."

Akima nodded. She asked Kagome who her father was, but she just broke out in tears. The half-demon knew she didn't belong in Tokyo because she was a half-breed, but she believed everyone had their own place in the world. She wandered around the site grounds a bit, and noticed a small little shed in the back. Akima went to the shed and opened the door, which felt like it would break at any moment. Then, she noticed a small well in the middle of the room.

"What's a well doing in the middle of this room?" Akima asked herself. She placed her hands on the well's edge and studied how it seemed to have no end. A soft meow startled Akima as she fell backwards into the well. A light flashed from both the well and her necklace. She was falling freely, as if she was dead.

Then, she felt her feet land on the ground again. Getting up, she climbed out of the well and stared bug-eyed at the place she saw.

"Where in the hell am I?"