Kagome leapt into the bone well, leaving the feudal ages and returning to recent times. She climbed out and sat on the lip of the well for a moment, staring blankly out at the closed door of the shrine, curious. There was no sound coming from the other side of the closed door, the only sound she could hear was the soft chirp of winter birds singing their songs of "vive le vent" or "long live the wind" to those who listened to their swimming music as in flew on the wings of their cherished love. Other than that, she heard nothing, not her grandfather, her mother, not even Souta. She didn't even hear the soft pawing of her family cat, which would usually swipe at any bird that flew to close to his pass.
After a while, she got up, wandered to the closed doors, and pushed them quietly open. She was met by a chilled wisp of wind and the whiteness of the snow-trodden land about the sacred tree, also around her entire home. There was an eerie silence on her house, almost as if someone had died and the dead spirit hung over her home. She shivered just thinking about it.
She began to start up to her house and entered saying, "I'm home!" but only the lingering silence met her in reply. Where is everyone? She thought to herself, worried just a bit. She looked about, "Mama? Grandpa? Souta?" no one heeded her call and again she was met by the ominous hush.
They must have gone out somewhere, she thought to herself. Maybe I should just wait until they get home. I could ask them about it later. Kagome sighed heavily, headed up to her room, put her backpack down on the floor, and threw herself on her bed. "Ah! It's good to be back home!" she said happily and soon was out like a light.
---
It was about twelve-o'-clock midnight when Kagome finally stirred from her bed, staring over at her dresser blankly as she began to regain consciousness. Glancing over at the clock, she realized that she had a bit longer than she had wanted. Ecstatically, she leapt out of bed and rushed over to the family room. She was still met by the same ominous silence as before, but it wasn't just because it was dark. Kagome shivered. What is this feeling? It's as if there was never anyone here…It almost feels like this eerie silence was the cause of a ghost or death or something… Kagome shook the thought from her mind and looked in the fridge for something to eat. Deciding that she wasn't really hungry, she grabbed a soda and went outside, gazing vacantly at the silver powder that covered the lot from end to end.
The moon that night was full and blue like a sapphire. It glistened off of the shining silver landscape as it grazed across the velvet sky. The stars danced slowly, but bright with cheer, like millions of little Christmas lights bouncing off of a pitch-black house. A small group held shape together and Kagome could've sworn it looked a lot like two birds dancing on a vinyl sheet. The black velvet sky seemed to blend into the snow rather than contrasting against it, making it all fall together so sweetly, like a majestic mountain lifting away from the earth of our world.
The landscape itself was beautiful on its own in the gentle light of the great sapphire moon. The silvered snow was shone beautifully under the dim light, yet was still magnificent against the velvet sky. The sacred tree glistened lavishly, adorned with speckled silver snow, that glittered with the light of the childish stars. Kagome sighed and wisps of steam flew up, glittering a soft blue hue.
After about a half an hour had passed, Kagome finally went back inside and went up to her room again. She sighed and plopped down onto her bed and stared out her window listlessly. For a fleeting moment, she could have sworn she had seen Inuyasha there, dashing across the lot, yet in reality, it was only her mind deceiving her. Sighing ever more heavily, she fell back to sleep, still edged by the heavy weight that weighed down her home.
---
She awoke again in the midst of morning, her home still hushed and quiet as ever, yet there was a sense of life within the home, even if it were a saddened one. Stretching, she sat up and went to take a shower.
As she stood in the shower, steaming hot water running down her bare sides and back, she began to contemplate what has been going on lately. It was strange that she and Inuyasha had been left alone for two years after the completion of the Shikon no Tama and the defeat of Naraku, only to be disturbed recently by a weak, rouge Youkai. It was also strange how most of the areas they past through had not a single Youkai present, even areas where Youkai fully prospered and were avoided by humans. It was also strange that her home was so lifeless and empty when she had returned. Usually her grandfather was there with some other excuse for her to miss school and Souta asking if Inuyasha was going to come with her the next time she comes home from the Feudal world. But no one was home, not even Souta.
She got out of the shower and dried herself off. She absent-mindedly got dressed and brushed her hair before going into the family room.
"O-hayou Gozaimasu," Kagome greeted as she came round, but found that only her mother and grandfather were there, and they both were quiet and seemed disturbed by something. Her mother, after a moment looked up. "Ah, O-hayou Kagome-chan."
"Mama, what's wrong?" Kagome asked in a worried voice.
Her mother stayed quiet for some time before saying anything. "Souta has fallen ill. The doctors aren't sure what's wrong with him, and he's getting worse everyday. We went to see him yesterday and he's still in critical condition."
Kagome stood stunned for a little bit. My little brother! "What happened?"
Her mother was quiet again. "We don't know. One day he was as healthy as he had ever been and, after a while, he began to feel cramps and passed out a few days ago. He's been in the hospital since then." She fell dead silent again before continuing. "We're seeing him again today at one. You might want to get ready, if you're not going out today."
"Wakata."
---
They arrived at the hospital a quarter after one, the hospital welcoming them with silence and calmed ringing. A young community service worker stood behind the entrance desk, checking on different floors via a computer network. She looked up, saw Kagome and her family, and turned away from what she was doing.
"Hello. Welcome to the community hospital. Are you here visiting?" she said in a soft, quiet tone.
"Yes, we're here to visit Souta Higurashi," Kagome's mother replied.
"Higurashi? Are you friends or family?"
"Family."
"OK. He's on the third floor, room 11A."
"Arigatou."
---
They took the elevator up the floors, arrived on the third level, and began to make their way down the hall. Murmured pages via loudspeaker could be heard about as various people from the hospital were called to do work or called out of work. They finally came to the room Souta was in and they entered.
Souta was in a terrible state. He was hooked up to life support and looked as if he wished he were rather dead. His skin was unusually pale and he had a dead look on his sleeping face. He was thinner and weaker now, his body thin from the virus that was eating at his life. He looked entirely pained every time the respirator rose and fell, his body shaking with fragile notions.
"Souta…" Kagome trailed off, looking down at her dying brother, trying to shake this reality from her mind.
"Onee-chan…" Souta struggled, his eyes slightly opening. Kagome's mother and grandfather left the room, leaving Kagome and Souta alone in a strange, ringing silence.
"Souta… are you all right?" Kagome asked, though in her heart she knew the correct answer to that question.
"I'm doing ok now, onee-chan." Souta said softly, struggling with the words as he spoke.
"Souta, you shouldn't push yourself so hard…" there was a long pause after Kagome spoke until the silence was shattered by Souta's spasmodic coughing. Kagome held onto her brother's hand until the coughing stopped.
"Souta…"
"It's ok Onee-chan… I'll be fine soon… the pain is beginning to wear off…" Souta said, a soft peaceful look came over his face; the redness from fever had all but worn off.
"Souta…"
"Onee-chan… I don't feel so heavy… any… more…" Souta closed his eyes and stopped altogether. A long toneless ringing leapt across the walls of the room. Kagome just stood there, holding onto Souta's hand, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Souta? Souta!" Kagome looked down at her brother and cried heavily on his chest, but the pain would not go away.
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