---Road to an Eternity of Wars---
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho
My homework still hasn't settled down enough yet…I'm starting to hate this time of year, with the overload of homework and all…
Today, my thanks goes out to all the people who understand and are waiting patiently for the next chapter, it really means a lot to me…including all the reviews I get.
Anyways, I really should move on to the story now!
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the Jikan Tamashii, you know. That's in part two of the story! (Wink)
Chapter 22: So Upset and ConfusedKagome's POV…
Kagome turned on the shower, but instead of going straight to washing, she sat down at the bottom of the stall, tucking her arms around her knees and burying her face right there, staring blankly ahead of herself.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, letting the hot water rain down on her.
What will Yusuke and Kurama think of me now?
After all those months that she had tried to keep her identity a secret, and it finally being exposed now…
She wasn't sure if she was ready for this.
Stretching a leg out, Kagome winced, noticing that her bandages were still wrapped moderately tightly around her torso and shoulders.
Absently, the miko started picking at one of the ends, until the whole thing loosened and started to unravel.
This sudden change of pressure for her made Kagome take in a quick breath, unprepared for bare contact with the hot water to her wounds.
The water mixed into a light pink, swirling before entering the drain.
Shakily standing up again, she grabbed the soap bar; coughing out drops of blood.
Living Room… (Hotel)
Overall POV…
"Yukina…you're here too…" Yusuke commented, looking straight ahead, 'That means that this is all real…' He added silently.
For a while, it was silent again; the two teams quietly listening to the patter of the shower to occupy their mind.
Hiei stood there, with a seemingly impassive look on his face, 'Yukina never struck me as a person who'd do this type of…things…'
"She's taking awfully long…don't you think she'd be out by now?" Genkai sighed, leaning against the wall on the other side of the room.
Hey, it's pretty hard to suddenly find out that your granddaughter had business with demons.
None of them had really expected this. Especially not coming from Keiko, Kagome, Sango, and Yukina. They all thought they were all, completely, and utterly innocent. Yes.
"Give her a little more time" Kurama murmured, staring ahead of him, a faraway look in his eyes.
Quite uncomfortable, Keiko shirted in her seat, hand clenched around each other, "I'll check on her…" She offered quietly, standing up and walking towards the bathroom, where the shower could still be heard.
Nobody really acknowledged her. They just sat there quietly.
"Would you like some tea…?" Botan tried to break the suffocating silence that hung in the air, to no avail.
The ferry girl watched as some occupants nodded, and some shook their head.
Still a bit grim, Botan left to the kitchen, leaving Sango, Yukina, Genkai, Hiei, Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara behind.
Keiko's POV…
"Kagome…? Hello…?" Keiko called out gently, "You okay in there…?"
Knock. Knock.
"Kagome…?" She repeated nervously when there was no reply.
Knock. Knock.
Keiko stopped her knocking on the wooden door. Relief flew through her body when she heard a few coughs, meaning that Kagome was still there.
"Keiko" A hoarse voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Kagome…? Are you all right? Do you need any help?"
"No…I'm fine," Her voice sounded like it hadn't been used for days, which technically, it hadn't been.
"Are you sure?" Keiko hesitantly responded.
"Yeah…I'm fine… I'll be out in a few"
"Okay… Get well soon"
"...Thanks..."
Kagome's POV…
After waiting for Keiko's footsteps to fade away, Kagome coated herself in water once again, turning off the shower.
She wrung the moisture out of her hair, absently noting the splatter it made on the cold tile floor inside the stall.
Standing there for a while, Kagome shook herself out of her trance-like state, thoughts of angst clouding her already hazy mind.
Quietly humming a forlorn tune, Kagome grabbed the nearest towel and dried herself, making no move to hurry while she unrolled some new bandages.
The miko needed time to recollect on her thoughts.
Overall POV…
After a while, the creaking of the door could finally be heard, "…I'm coming…" Kagome muttered out quietly, tossing the extra bandages into her suitcase, and her clothes into the makeshift laundry basket.
Making it into the living room, the miko picked up a blanket and wrapped it around herself, curling into a loose ball at the free end of the sofa.
All the occupants in the room shifted uncomfortably at the silence, silently hoping that another would start the conversation.
"So…" Sango tried to sound confident, but instead, her voice came out shaky and small. She hated how she sounded right now, but it was basically against her power to change her tone at this point.
Kuwabara coughed.
"You…you were involved with demons…all this time…?" Yusuke started off, sounding frighteningly broken, "You…you never told me…?"
Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away from him. She couldn't bear to look at him now. Just…not now.
The cousin took this silent as a yes and went a hue paler on his face.
Genkai bowed her head down as a response too.
Yukina's face was covered by her hair, head bowed down to cover her face like a curtain.
Underneath, her eyes were glazed over with tears. They clung to her eyes, refusing to fall and alert anybody in the room.
It seemed that only short conversations were held at the moment, the tension too thick to engage in a whole group discussion.
"Yukina…" Hiei whispered, turning towards his sister, "…Why are you here…? You're not my responsibility, but -" Even if he didn't mean to sound that way, it appeared as if he was slightly angry.
He was about to say more, but Yukina cut into his words.
"Shut up!" Yukina choked out, surprising the majority of the room, "Shut up! I know you're my brother! Stop acting as if you aren't and I don't know! Because I do! It's as if you don't care for me at all!"
Hiei's eyes widened in shock; his body froze and he couldn't respond – just…couldn't face the truth.
She knew.
She already knew.
"Maybe…" The ice maiden continued on, "Maybe, just maybe, could you think about me for once? Maybe just stop pretending? It hurts, you know. Having a brother that nearly ignores you because he was too afraid to tell you that he's your brother…"
Yukina's body started to shake and the tears that once threatened to escape, now streamed down her face, sparkling with the dim floor lamp.
Kagome squeezed her eyes even tighter, if that was possible. She currently wasn't willing to see Yukina in that state.
Sango, sensing her sister-like friend in a state of depression, shuffled over and comfortingly hugged Kagome tightly, just holding her there to settle her down.
Botan rubbed Yukina on the back, glancing at her other two team mates.
Keiko had already wrapped her arms around Yukina's waist.
"He…" Kurama spoke up softly over the muffled sobs, "He was afraid, yes…"
Hiei nearly glared at Kurama, but decided to stop and wait to see what the red-haired man would mention.
"He was afraid that you wouldn't accept him…and I think that was the only reason why he was withholding this information from you…"
Yukina stared blankly, nearly lifelessly, ahead of her, blurrily concentrating on a stray button somewhere on the other side of the room.
No response.
The apparition closed his eyes too. 'She probably doesn't accept me anyways, why live a life of hope when there is none…?'
"Kagome…you could've told me…" Genkai commented, biting her lip, "I wouldn't have minded…it is not a sin to be involved with demons…"
Kagome's breath hitched, her sobs coming in sharp intervals, "I…I…I was a coward…" She admitted, mostly to herself, "I never really wanted to let you know…wanted anybody to know…" The miko willed her breathing to calm, "What I was doing… I was…afraid that you would hold me back from what I wanted to do…Love to do…"
"I wouldn't have done that…besides, your mother and grandpa accepted it, right?"
A silent nod was directed at Genkai in reply.
In some ways, they found it hard to speak to each other, mainly for the reason of fear…fear that they wouldn't be accepted in a society shared with each other…
They all hoped that in the end, they would all come to terms that it was okay…okay to state your feelings without being criticized by one another.
Alright! Yosh! Another chapter finished! This one was longer than the last one. I apologize for the wait… Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter – the discussion will continue in the next chapter.
I'm certain that it was rushed or something like that, but...I can't help it. (Smiles sheepishly) I think it's in my nature to rush... Read and review onegai!
Sayonara,
Tenshi-Battosai