Disclaimer
Azalea: ZzZzZ…
Inu Yasha: Hey wench! Wake up!
Azalea: huh? What? groggily gets up
Inu Yasha: are you going to update or not? I'm getting impatient here! glares at Azalea I want to be with Kagome! Hurry up and update your stup-!
chibi mode
Azalea: ZzZzZ…
Inu Yasha: WTF! She fell asleep while I was talking! Damn wench! Wake up! shakes her uncontrollably
Azalea: WAAAA! WHAT IN THE NAMES OF HEAVEN DO YOU WANT!
Inu Yasha: Just start updating your fic again!
Azalea: huh? points her finger on her chin did I get some reviews? Did I? Did I? I'll only update when I get some reviews…
Inu Yasha: FEH! Who cares about you? Or your stupid fic? Just start posting again! I want to be with Kagome!
Azalea: grr…. Alright already! Just shut up! Grr… If I only owned you!
Inu Yasha: Well you don't!
Azalea: You don't have to remind me, you JERK!
I don't own Inu Yasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 3: Memories
Our favorite hanyou was pacing along the path around a beautiful lake surrounded by beautiful tulips that seemed to dance with the wind. Usually, he would stop and discretely admire its beauty, constantly comparing it to Kagome when they still traveled together. Not that he would ever admit that to her or anybody of his friends.
A few hours ago, he looked like the Kikyou, soulless and emotionless.
A few hours ago, he looked like the world always wants him to suffer over the fact that Kagome's gone, with him giving her only a few words such as 'Feh!' and "Arigatou…'
What kind of crap is that!
After she gave him so many wonderful things, in the end, he still couldn't and wouldn't tell her what he had felt for a very long time. He still couldn't ask her the things that he wanted to know.
Enough of that now.
After finding new hope to get to be with her again, he was like a little puppy, restless to be reunited with his owner.
He then found a comfortable looking branch in a nearby tree and decided to sit on it. He thought that it might help him think carefully about his newfound plan.
"Should I do it? What will I do? How am I going to wish for it?" the hanyou muttered to himself.
Oblivious to his surroundings, a familiar group, which consisted of a perverted monk, a strong youkai exterminator, with her two tailed pet, and a little kitsune, approached him.
While the hanyou was busy pondering over his confusing thoughts, the kitsune thought of something to do to disturb and get the hanyou's attention. He picked up a rather large rock from the ground and threw it at the preoccupied hanyou's head.
WHACK!
"ACK!"
Not knowing what or who hit him, he immediately fell to the ground, FACE FIRST, while hitting some braches on his way down. He fell hard on the ground and got reacquainted with his old friend Mr. Dirt.
He suddenly remembered the first time Kagome sat him. It was really unforgettable. He gave a small smile upon remembering her but it suddenly vanished when he was brought back by the pain on his head.
"WTF! That hurts! Who did that!" yelled the annoyed hanyou.
He reached for his head and felt something.
Dammit! That hurts!
As soon as he recovered from the fall, he saw the little kitsune running for cover. But he was fast and he immediately caught the kitsune's little ankle.
"SHIPPO!" Inu Yasha growled.
THUMP!
"OWWW!" Shippo cried.
ehem The monk supposedly cleared his throat to get Inu Yasha's attention.
"What now?" Inu Yasha snapped back at Miroku.
"Well, I can see that something good came out from what our little Shippou did. You seem to be –how can I put it- somehow, better now since the time Kagome-sama left"
Sango, then stepped up and said, "Inu Yasha… We may not often show it but we care a lot about you. We were worried about how you will take it when Kagome-chan left our era"
"That's right even though you always seem to make her cry!" Shippo cut in earning him a huge lump in the head from the hanyou.
"Keh!" was all he could say.
The carefree conversation soon fell silent. All that could be heard were the chirping of the birds and the grass swaying along with the wind. Memories of their friend came back. It was quite welcoming for most of the group but not for Inu Yasha. So many things were left unsaid. Things that he was afraid to be forgotten.
Should I tell them about my plan? What if it doesn't work? Inu Yasha racked his brain for a final decision. Then, again, along came that annoying voice in his head.
Tell them about it you do'aho! They're your friends! Fuck… Did I just say that? I think I'm getting soft.
Oi! Enough about you! Give me one good reason why I should tell them.
Baka! I just told you one already! They're your friends, you moron! They have a right to know about it. They could also help you…
Keh!
"Alright…" Inu Yasha irritably muttered.
The cold silence was soon broken when Inu Yasha spoke, actually, it was more of a whisper. "Guys… I think I have a plan to be with Kagome again…"
"What? I didn't catch that. What about Kagome-sama?" the perverted monk asked.
Inu Yasha took a deep breath and carefully looked at his friends.
All eyes were fixed on him now. All were waiting for what he was about to say.
"I… I think I have a plan to be with Kagome again…" he said more slowly.
When he was finished, everyone became stunned. Sango tried to speak but no words came from her mouth. Miroku also tried but his efforts were in vain. But little Shippo didn't care. He immediately jumped up to the cling on the hanyou's neck from his position on the ground and asked.
"What's the plan Inu Yasha? Are we going to see Kagome again? Will it really work? What are we going to do?" Shippo asked under one breath.
With all the questions that came for him, Inu Yasha, typically, got annoyed. He smacked the kitsune's head.
Before the two start bickering, Sango stopped them. She pulled Shippo away from Inu Yasha's reach. She then sat on the ground and started talking.
"Inu Yasha, I want to know what your plan is. How can we be reunited with Kagome-chan again?" Sango said with a very determined voice. It was understandable. After all, Kagome was the closest person to her. They would talk about anything. Anything at all. They were practically sisters.
Miroku stared at Sango then at Inu Yasha. He watched the exchange between the two of his friends. They were fixed in an unwavering gaze. Inu Yasha was hesitating about the idea of informing them about his plans but Sango took care of that. Her determined features forced Inu Yasha to talk.
With a sigh, he said "I haven't used the Shikon no Tama yet as you may all know. I figured that… maybe... just maybe… I could wish for it to let us be with Kagome again. I'm so stupid, aren't I? I let three months passed before I come to that realization…"
"But Inu Yasha… that's not an easy wish to fulfill. It may require something I order to grant that kind of wish" Miroku calmly stated.
"I know but… I'm willing to take that risk, Miroku. There are still so many things that I haven't told her, so many things that I want her to know. I… won't be able to live with myself if I didn't take the chance to see… to be with her again"
Being quite for sometime, it was Sango's turn to speak.
"Inu Yasha… I want to come with you" she stated rather bluntly. "I wish to see her too"
"Me too!" Shippo shouted beside Sango.
The two then stared at Miroku.
"I want to go too", Miroku said.
"Are… Are you all sure about this?" Inu Yasha asked.
They hesitated at first.
They, at first, thought carefully about the consequences.
After coming to a decision, they replied in unison, "Yes, we are!"
"Okay! It's decided then! We'll do this tomorrow. The sooner, the better, ne?" Miroku cheered. With a quick grab for Sango's butt, he stood up and ran back to the village.
Sango blushed furiously then shouted. "Houshi-sama!" She continued wile ging after the monk, "Hentai! I'm going to kill you!"
"Guess some things will never change", Shippo commented while looking at the weird couple (?). Inu Yasha just nodded in agreement.
The next day…
The environment was fairly good today. Children were playing. The adults were working on their fields. In other words, it was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to notice it.
But to some, even the most beautiful of days cannot lighten the tense feeling that was welling up in their stomach.
It was time.
The Inu gang was together again. They were going to take the matters into their own hands.
"Oi!" The hanyou's voice rang. "Are you ready?"
The monk looked at his friends. They nodded. "Ready as we'll ever be"
They went into a secluded place where no one could interrupt them. It was vital that no would for it may cause a bad outcome.
The hanyou carefully grabbed the beautiful but ominous jewel inside his red haori. He looked at it for a long time then looked at his friends.
He began to feel anxious. He felt that his guts were being twisted inside his body. It was getting annoying. He couldn't shake this horrible feeling that something may go wrong. Suddenly, questions of "what ifs" burst in his mind.
What if it doesn't work? What if it doesn't want to grant the damn wish? What if he could never see Kagome for as long as he lived?
The last question haunted him. He quickly shook the horrible thoughts away from his head and started to clear his mind.
I must find peace. He breathed deeply.
"Start now, Inu Yasha" Sango encouraged his friend.
"Hai…"
"Shikon no Tama…" The jewel glowed pink.
Kuso! What am I going to say!
He opened his mouth but no words came out. A huge lump began to form in his throat, obstructing anything that tries to come out.
Beside Sango, Shippo could sense that Inu Yasha was having a hard time in mustering the right words to say. He ran to him and quickly bopped his head.
"Kuso! Now what?" Inu Yasha angrily shouted. At that moment, the jewel's light began to fade away.
"Hurry up will ya? I want to see Kagome again!" the kitusune retorted.
"keh…"
"You can do this, Inu Yasha. We believe in you", Sango told him.
"I… I'm going to start all over again…"
Moments silence…
"Shikon no Tama… I…We… humbly ask…" Inu Yasha choked. Humble was really not in his vocabulary. But like the saying goes: Desperate times need desperate measures. This was one of those times.
Inu Yasha contined. "We humbly ask for you to grant our wish to be with the girl named Higurashi Kagome. We know that the well is now permanently closed that why… we wish to be in Kagome's era… to live there forever until the end of time. Please grant this wish or else…" Inu Yasha began to growl. "I'm going to shatter you to shards all over again!"
"Inu Yasha!" The rest of the gang shouted.
The jewel started to pulse. Every time it pulsed, its light grew stronger. The light was so strong that the Inu gang needed to shield their eyes.
Somebody or something spoke behind the blinding light.
"I… am…Midoriko. The spirit that resides within the jewel called the Shikon no Tama. Dear hanyou, what you wished will require something in return, a sacrifice as you may call it"
The group was bewildered. What will be the sacrifice? Inu Yasha's ears drooped at hearing those words. He was not sad, he was merely nervous. Apparently, he ws not the only one. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara (?) were also nervous. It was clearly written in their eyes.
Miroku gathered his strength and wits amd asked, " Midoriko-sama, what will be the sacrifice?"
"The sacrifice is not that grand. You will be reborn in your frined's time but… your memories will be, for the time being, erased from your mind"
Everyone let out a gasp. This was not a good idea.
The spirit continued, "It is not permanent though. They will, in turn, resurface as soon as you meet with your friend"
"But how will we recognize her if our memories are erased? What if cannot remember her? What if we don't meet with her at all? " Sango couldn't restrain herself from asking.
"That…" The spirit breathed. "… is for that matter of your hearts and of your bond with each other. If you continue to share a strong and unbreakable bond with each, you will soon recognize your friend. Now, are you willing to sacrifice your memories?
The group, except for Inu Yasha, looked at each other. They were discussing their answers. In Inu Yasha's case, he didn't need to discuss them for he already made up his mind. He was going for it.
After a few seconds of exchanging looks, the group came to a decision. They, too, are going for it.
"Inu Yasha…." Miroku couldn't quite finish what he was going to say. He just nodded and Inu Yasha nodded in return.
"We accept your terms", Inu Yasha told the spirit of Midoriko.
"Then, I wish you goodluck", with that, Midoriko's spirit vanished. Pure and blinding light engulfed them.
Inu Yasha tried to hold onto some memories he shared with his friends and the memories he shared with Kagome.
A small smile crawled its way across Inu Yasha's lips as he remembered the time he was with her.
"Wait for me Kagome. I'm coming for you"
A/N: uh… OOC? I think Inu Yasha was a bit OOC in this chapter… Any way, please… I beg of you! crawls on knees Please review. For Kami-sama's sake. I just want some reviews to tell or remind me if I'm doing a good or a very bad job with this fic. Is that too much to ask? It's just a click of a button away. Well, I'm going to say it again. Your reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!