Return

Disclaimer: Read the disclaimer from the first chapter.

Kagome sat inside the well, shivering. 'How did I get here?' She thought, not remembering the white light. And then, as if a light bulb had been turned on inside her brain, she remembered. The scene flashed through her mind making her cry.

Kagome climbed out of the well and jumped back in, half expecting to be transported to the Feudal Era. She wasn't. Her feet hit the solid rock bottom of the well, just as her happiness reached the identical level. Rock bottom.

She cried. It was too much to bear. Kagome had lost so many people she loved. It was all over. The end. She would never see Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kouga, Kaede, even Sesshomaru, or the one she oddly would miss most of all, Inuyasha. She dismissed all those feelings trying to tear them from her heart to make her feel happy again.

Why can't I go back? Kagome thought, yearning for the old land. I have the Shikon no Tama, don't I? She asked herself.

Kagome looked at the bottom of the well. It must have fallen there. She thought, hoping it was, almost mad with need. Kagome went onto her knees, trying to find the Shikon no Tama. She searched to whole well, but it was not there. It was gone. Forever.

Just like the Feudal Era.

"Crap, how could this happen?" She muttered to herself. Her head was braced by her hand as she leaned her back against the side of the well, her knees pulled up so they were almost against her.

Kagome bit her lip, trying not to cry. It wasn't what her friends would want her to do. They would want her to be strong, right? She had to hold out, survive. For all she knew she had a test the next day, or a huge project due she would have to do blindly. At least it was near the beginning of the twelfth grade, so it would probably be review.

She pulled herself in a standing position, trying not to cry for the loss of her friends. "Stop crying Kagome," Kagome told herself. "What will crying do for you to help? Release evil demons from your body?" She laughed bitterly as she remembered something she had learned. "Oh, yeah, it releases enough toxins to kill a rat. Not close enough." (AN: It's true! It's true! I leaned it… -Tries to think- Somewhere!)

Kagome grabbed a stone by its edges to keep her from falling down. Her bare legs had already been cold by the fall weather in the fight. The temperature seemed only to decrease while reality was still taking its course in her mind. Her legs' use had long since evaporated from her mind. Standing was almost hopeless.

She glared at the cold, unforgiving stone wall of the well. Kagome could find no warmth in something that could bring her such pain. She had spent over two years trying to find the jewel. She didn't know how she would use the Shikon no Tama. Maybe give to Inuyasha so he could wish to become a full demon, his greatest wish. Well, she tried to do that and look what happened to that. It backfired and morphed her, instead of Inuyasha, taking her back to her time after she purified it.

Her mind eased off getting out of the well and started to stand, laughing at how ironic it was. 'It' was the jewel, her friends, her old life and her want for all those things and her struggle to maintain everything she had had. Her laughing was at first a small giggle, though it soon erupted into a booming laugh. Before she knew it, she was out of the well.

The whole shrine had woken up. All the lights were turned on. Kagome stopped laughing. Had she made everyone mad by waking them up?

Her worried thoughts stopped as she heard Souta's (sp?) cry. "Mom, I think Kagome came home!" His small feet made a soft sound as he walked energetically to the well.

Kagome laughed and went to him. "Souta," She told him.

"What is it, 'Nee-chan?" He asked her, his big eyes scanning the well to see if Inuyasha had come with her.

"The well is closed." She blurted out, cringing.

Souta looked confused. "What do you mean Kagome?" He asked her.

Kagome closed her eyes to try to keep herself from crying as she kneeled down to Souta's height. She gripped Souta's shoulders. "Souta, I can never go back to the Feudal Era. Neither you nor I will ever see Inuyasha again. Not today, not ever."

Souta just stared at her, a sad look on his face. "Really?" He choked out. Souta had been Inuyasha's biggest fan. It was going to be hard to let him go.

When Kagome realized she would never receive an answer from Souta she got up shakily and led her younger brother into the house. She waved at her mother and walked inside to bathe and sleep.

"Kagome, you look tired. Why don't you go to sleep?" Her mother asked her, worried about her state.

Kagome smiled kindly at her mother, knowing she truly cared for her and her well-being. "Thanks, mom, but I think I'll have a bath first. Kagome yawned and made her way to the bathroom, grabbing her nightclothes on the way.

As the bath water went over Kagome's body she wondered how she would cope with school. Her only hope was that school would be on strike forever so she wouldn't have to go. Sadly, she knew it wasn't likely that that was going to happen.

Memories of the times she spent with her friends from the Feudal Era filled her head as she soaked in the bathtub. When she pulled the Tetsaiga (sp?) and Sesshomaru almost killed her was one. As she reminisced she remembered that while they would probably not be in her time she would still have their memories to cherish. So, in a way, they would still be alive. (AN: I know, cheesy!)

Kagome got out of the bathtub and covered her hair with a towel and quickly changed into her pajamas. She blow-dried her hair and walked into her room yawning and remembered how glad she was to see the room when she had came from the Feudal Era before the last battle.

The miko's gaze around her room, untouched, caught on the window.

"How… Beautiful." Kagome whispered, as if she was an art critic, amazed by a new, magnificent talent.

She was right at her statement, though. The clouds were beautiful shades of pastel pinks, easily blending with the peachy warm oranges close to the sun and the dark-coloured, but still warm purples that faded into the night sky.

Kagome flopped onto her bed and pulled her pink and white over her, tossing and turning as she finally went into a peaceful sleep.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: I'm sorry I can't write long enough chapters. This one's barely the small amount of three pages! I'm trying though, so don't blame me. I am desperately trying to stick to this story, which I must say, I really like. Aren't I so descriptive? Poses like a superhero Well, I'm only, like, 12! Don't blame me. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows. Constructive criticism welcome! I love to improve my stories. Please review! Or at least visit my page many times to check for updates.