Battle of the Shikon
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from InuYasha.
Chapter 4: Promises
The morning light came pale and cool. A soft mist rose around the edges of the forest and there was a faint moisture in the air speaking of rain to come. Despite this, the sky was clear and bright. It almost seemed to mock the group as their minds remained in gloom. Kagome and InuYasha both seemed strangely quiet after they awoke. The others weren't any more talkative than they, but there was a feel of uneasy bitterness in their eyes. Soundlessly the group ate a small breakfast before putting out the fire and swinging their packs over their shoulders. With a final gaze at the abandoned hut, they turned away and headed back into the forest. It was probably just their imaginations, but the farm seemed to have an even darker feel than it had when they had first arrived. Striding into the forest hid them away from what little warmth the morning sun gave, but they did not give it much notice.
The hours passed on with only the sound of calm breaths of their companions for comfort. The plan was now made and they would have to complete it as soon as possible. There was no telling if the future held Naraku's discovery of their notions, so only pure need drove them. If only Naraku had never been made...if only the jewel shard had never been created. What would life be like then? Certainly not this. Certainly not walking their friend home to say goodbye to her family before they sent her to her death. Each knew that this would be the last journey home Kagome would ever make. One day, that's all they could spare for her to have with her family. It seemed even more brutal than the way Naraku had ripped each of them from their own families...
How could Kagome do this, the others wondered? How could she give up her life so easily for the sake of her friends and their desires? Each wanted revenge for someone that was killed by Naraku's hand, but was it worth having another close friend killed? Kagome had said that it was her duty, her job to finish what she started. She had brought the Shikon No Tama back into this world and shattered it into pieces. She had obligation to fix it, even if it meant her ultimate demise. Besides, she was the only one with the ability to do it, she had claimed.
Once Shippou had asked after Kikyou. The undead priestess possessed the same miko powers as Kagome, so why could she not take Kagome's place? For some reason Kagome grew angry at this, but quickly suppressed it, not wanting to be angry with Shippou during the little time she had left with him. She had answered in a sad voice an explanation that Shippou "wouldn't understand" and that he was "too young". The others had looked at her sadly from this, but each seemed to have a pitiful understanding look on their faces. Later Kagome had muttered under her breath that it was "her duty, not Kikyou's". In a way, Shippou understood. Kikyou had been brought back into this world against her will; it was not her place to decide such a fate for herself, especially now that she had gotten a second chance at life. Kagome had not entered this world by her will either, but she remained in it by choice. It was almost as if it was her destiny to give her life up, as if that was the reason she had fallen into the well in the first place. It only made sense that she would feel duty to this job.
Shippou had not brought it up again after that. He still felt full of questions, but anyone with half a brain could tell that now was not the time for such things. For a long time they remained in uncomfortable silence, until finally they left the forest path and broke into wide valleys. It was much warmer and brighter here, yet they still seemed oblivious to it.
"Jinenji's garden is near by," Kagome finally said quietly with eyes diverted to the path ahead. "We should stop by for a few minutes," she added and no one said otherwise. InuYasha gazed at her for a moment and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it with a snap and nodded approvingly. The others also gave simple nods, but no more. Jinenji was a good friend of theirs, one of the few that they had managed to gain during their trips. He liked Kagome and each knew that he deserved to know about their upcoming battle. Being a hanyou, his human side was very warm and kind so it would be cruel not to say goodbye to him.
After a good while, they left the path and followed a river for a time until a distant village came into view with its tiny grey spirals of smoke ascending from each hut. It looked just as it had the first time they had seen it. The sun was far in the distance at its late afternoon seat and an uneasy wind seemed to constantly sweep past them.
As they arrived, a few people recognized them and waved cheerfully, ignorant of the mood that hung around them. Nonetheless, they returned the greetings, but quickly passed through the village and turned onto the path leading to Jinenji's garden. Distant mountains of green framed the peaceful sight of a small wooden hut and long soil rows with various herbs poking up. Jinenji, still twice as tall as any of them in his blue kimono and scarred arms and legs, was tending the garden with a hoe in hand. His mother was before the hut steadily sweeping with a broom in hand. Her green head-cloth was still strapped on around white hair along with her black-embroidered brown kosoda and grey mo-bakama.
Jinenji's mother stopped her sweeping as she noticed their arrival. "Why, hello there," she greeted in a gravely old voice. Her smile was thin from age, but warm as always. Her son heard her words and turned from his gardening to see who had come. His large blue eyes brightened at the sight of Kagome and the others.
"Hullo, Kagome," he said. His voice was deep and rumbling, but soft and kind at the same time. Carefully stepping over his plants, he came to meet them. "It's nice to see you again," he added once he stood beside his mother.
"It's nice to see you too," Kagome answered. She tried to put her best smile on, but her heart was not in it and it ended up being an obvious attempt. How could she smile when she knew she was about to tell him such terrible news? It'd be so hard on him if she began to explain it right away, but then again, it wouldn't lighten the burden if she broke it to him easily either.
Luckily she was spared the need to think of an opening sentence as Jinenji suddenly gained a concerned expression and blinked slowly at her. "What is wrong, Kagome? You look sad and worried," he voiced, voice like a low drum roll. "Normally your smile is so warm." As if suddenly realizing what he said, he turned a light shade of pink.
At this Kagome's smile was much warmer, but soon it faded as she hesitated in answering. She was spared once more as Miroku stepped in and suggested that they go inside to speak while Sango added in that they had something very important to say. The mother and hanyou held curiously worried looks, but nodded and turned to invite them inside. After they had all filed in and sat down in a circle, Jinenji taking up almost a quarter of the room on his own, they began.
"Jinenji, I..." Kagome started, still lost for words. She hadn't even begun the story and it was already this hard. Would it be the same way saying goodbye to her family and friends? She had no doubts for the answer. "I need to tell you something," she finally spat out. "Do...do you know about a demon named Naraku?"
"Naraku?" he repeated. "I know that name, but no more."
"Well," Kagome fumbled, "N-Naraku is a very powerful demon that is seeking to collect all the shards of the Shikon No Tama. Each of us is an enemy to him and we've been working for a really long time trying to destroy him before he gets all the shards." She paused to take a breath. Might as well keep going now that she started. "We've tried everything to defeat him, but nothing's worked so far. A few days ago, Miroku figured out the secret to killing Naraku so...so that's what we're going to do. I just..." Realizing she was looking at her clenched fists, she raised her gaze to Jinenji's attentive blue eyes. "We were passing by and...I wanted to come by for a--a visit." Suppressing a sigh, she waited for his reaction.
Instead, his mother spoke first. "I don't understand. If this is true, then why do you all look so glum? You should be happy that you found the answer to your troubles with this Naraku fellow." A dangerous demon with deadly strong powers and she called him a fellow. If the mood in the air was not so heavy, Kagome would have laughed.
"It's just that..." Kagome muttered, "...I don't know how..." She couldn't tell them the entire truth. Explaining their plan could be dangerous in case a spy of Naraku was near by. It was dangerous enough figuring it out for the first time, but repeating it again could mean it travelling between lips. "You see...we've already made our plan to defeat Naraku, but...one of its most important parts will mean my...d-death."
The silence was breathless. Kagome was staring at her fists again, but she knew that Jinenji and his mother were both staring at her. "Kagome?" Jinenji finally whispered, though it was too loud to be considered one. He didn't seem aware of it, but his own hands were shaking as well.
Kagome closed her eyes tight, not being able to stand looking into the eyes of either of them. "I-if we go through with th-the plan, I'll have to give up my life." She rubbed her left hand with her right, not able to take the calm stillness anymore. "Otherwise, it won't work..." Her hands felt so cold and their gazes so heavy. "It's my duty, Jinenji. I have to go through with it..." Tearing her eyes open, she lifted her chin to look squarely into Jinenji's gaze. They were so hollow and disbelieving. She could almost hear his revolting thoughts. "That's why we came here. I wanted to say goodbye to you." She was amazed at how smooth her voice was.
Obviously working up words in his mouth, the hanyou blinked for a moment. "Kagome...I..." He fell silent again and tore his eyes away to skip through the faces of each of Kagome's companions as if searching for the face that would say "Just kidding" and laugh their surprise away. Meeting only regretful faces, he looked back at Kagome. "I don't understand. Is this Naraku really that important?" His words were quiet, even for him.
Kagome frowned and pulled her face away so her bangs covered her eyes. "Of course it is! We've been working for so long to finally kill him! My friends need me to do this! I need to do this!" Her words were not truly shouts, but more like breathless trailings. Still, she cut herself off before they could continue. A hand darted up under her bangs to her eye before being pulled back down. Suddenly her shoulders slouched, but she didn't raise her gaze. "I'm sorry, Jinenji...I didn't mean to…. This isn't your fault..." she apologized softly.
Silence surrounded them again for a time. Jinenji's eyes were full of pity and confusion while the others were plain regret. None but Jinenji and his mother looked at Kagome for a time. InuYasha seemed on the verge of saying something, but whenever he opened his mouth to speak, he paused for a moment and closed it again. Tears were in Shippou's eyes, but he refrained from going to snuggle into Kagome's lap.
After a few painfully silent minutes crawled by, Jinenji bowed his head and said in a calm tone, "I understand." Kagome looked up at him and was surprised to see his face the picture of grim acceptance. Her eyes were slightly red at the edges, but her cheeks were a dry pink. Jinenji smiled at her, but he didn't break away from her gaze. "Kagome, I can see that this is very important to you. I will not ask any more questions. If you say you need to do this, I believe you."
"Jinenji…" was all Kagome could manage to mutter.
After a moment, "Fool girl with fool pride. Coming here and dumping your misery on us. Imagine!" Jinenji's mother scolded, but, surprisingly, with a small smile on her face. "At least you managed to get my boy's acceptance. If you hadn't, he'd probably mope around here until the moon changed colour." She gave a chuckle and pulled herself to her feet while Jinenji blushed deeply. The others got to their feet as well.
"I…I don't know…" Kagome paused to gulp as she scrambled up. "Thank you," she finally spat breathlessly. Slender tears had appeared, but her eyes and smile had a half-shocked brightness and warmth. 'They've accepted,' she thought in disbelief. "You can't imagine what this means to me," she added after she drew in more breath.
"Now, now! None of that! I won't have any silly gloom flung around here like that!" Jinenji's mother cut in before her son could say a word. Her smile had widened as she smoothed her mo-bakama. "If this is going to be your last visit, it will be a cheerful one or else I'll get my boy to shoo you off my property!" At this she gave a bark of a laugh. Kagome couldn't help but laugh softly as well, wiping the thin tears from her cheeks.
"Thank you, thank you so much," Kagome continued, lifting Shippou into her arms. Though his sadness had weakened as well, he still snuggled into her arms for comfort.
Jinenji suddenly blinked with a new idea. "Wait here, I want to give you something, Kagome," he rumbled with a slow grin. The others drew out of the door's way as the large hanyou slipped past them outside and turned out of view.
Kagome opened her mouth again but was cut off as Jinenji's mother raised a finger in interruption. "Don't you dare say thank you again, young lady," she said sternly, but still with a smile. "If there is anyone who needs to say thank you, it is me."
Kagome blinked. "What for?"
The elder woman blinked at her right back as if the question was utterly foolish. "What for, child? If you and your friends hadn't come here in the first place, the villagers would still be beating my boy and burning my house down! If my boy hadn't met you, he would have never seen proper compassion or have learned how to defend himself. If he hadn't become your friend, he'd still be crying in here while I was outside chasing villagers away with my broom," she chuckled. "So thank you, you clueless girl!"
The others weren't quite sure when their laughter slipped in with hers, but soon they were all smiles and chuckles. A few minutes after their mirth calmed down somewhat, Jinenji returned. Settling himself back in his position, his hands were closed together as if holding something between.
"Kagome, I want you to have these," he explained quietly and opened his hands. Sitting in his palms was a rather large brown paper package of various herbs and plants. Kagome recognized almost all of them as healing herbs used for…
"But Jinenji, aren't these for strong injuries? Aren't they for…?" Kagome trailed off.
"They are for your battle, Kagome," he answered in a low murmur. His cheeks were slightly pink, but he beamed happily. "I will not believe that you are dead until I see for myself."
Reddening from gratitude, Kagome placed Shippou down for a moment to take the package in her hands. It was so large that she had to use both her arms' lengths to hold it. Gazing at it for a moment, she looked back up at Jinenji with sheer merriment glittering in her eyes.
"You will wait?" she whispered.
"I promise, Kagome," he answered with a dip of his head. His mother beamed approvingly at him from his elbow.
Once the herbs were packed away and they had filed out of the small hut, they turned for a final time to say farewell to the hanyou and his mother.
"Thank you, Jinenji, for being such a wonderful friend," Kagome said with hands folded at her waist. "I can't believe how lucky I am for having someone to keep a promise like that for me."
Jinenji shook his head. "It is you I need to thank, Kagome. For everything." His grin was wide and warm, blue eyes beaming with a youthful cheer.
Kagome smile mirrored his as she approached and threw her arms around his wide middle in a hug. Surprised a little, Jinenji darkened deeply as he gently patted her back. Pulling apart a little, she stood on her toes to kiss Jinenji's forehead lightly. He darkened even further, if that was possible, as she backed up again. "I'll miss you both so much," she continued, shifting her eyes from him to his mother.
"You hurry back now, you hear me?" Jinenji's mother answered instead.
Kagome couldn't help her giggle. "We will."
Moods restored, they waved their last goodbyes as they turned away down the path. The long garden and wooden hut with its two waving occupants slowly faded into specks and then were swallowed by hills and trees. Hours seemed to pass as a crawling pace as they slowly travelled onward to Kaede's village.
It was near sunset by the time they finally viewed the slender trails of smoke rising from the comfortable wooden huts beside the vast forest. By some strange ability of telepathy, Lady Kaede was outside her hut as if waiting for their arrival. Her white haori reflected the rich gold light behind her. Her lineament expression was no challenge to them as they could already recognize her stern frown. For such an old woman, she could pick up the mood of a group in a heartbeat. Their mirth had waned by a good amount by the time the story was told once more, save the actual plan. They knew without doubt that they could trust the elder miko, but now was not the time to whisper them across. Kagome had to return home.
"I wish there was another way to go about this," Kaede said bitterly as they made their way to the edge of the village, facing the direction of the Bone Eater's Well. Being a strong woman with many years behind her, she had accepted their explanation well enough, if bleakly.
"We all do," Miroku replied with a regretful nod of his head. The rings on his staff jingled as it lay balanced against his shoulder.
Finally they reached the outer edge of the village. Kaede looked sadly at Kagome. "Ye have been a wonderful help to us, child. I wish ye good luck and safe passage."
"Thank you, Kaede," Kagome answered with a small smile and a nod. After a quick goodbye, the group turned once more and began their descent into the forest. Light was growing terribly thin now and they were all tired from the day's travels and heart-weights.
Since that morning, Kagome had done most of the explaining to Jinenji and Kaede, yet now she was deadly silent. Miroku and Sango managed to refrain from glancing at her too closely, but InuYasha ignored that option and openly watched the miko from the corner of his eye.
'I'm walking home to say goodbye to my family,' she thought bitterly. 'I'm going to tell them that I'm leaving them forever so I can go off and die.' Could this truly be happening? Barely a week ago her greatest enemies were Naraku and passing grade nine exams, yet now she was struggling against her destiny? Not even a year ago, she had come into the well-house on her grandfather's shrine to find Buuyo because Souta had been too scared to enter. What if she had known then what she knew now? What if she had known at the time that she would fall into the past, shatter a sacred jewel, travel Feudal Japan, see her doom laid out before her, and willingly tear her family's hearts out? 'I'll never see them again, I'll never see my home or my friends again…I'll never see what my life could have been…'
Soon the Goshinboku tree came into view. The scar of InuYasha's fifty year sleep still lay bare. The hole where Kikyou's arrow had pinned him still punctured the tree trunk. It was the spot she had first seen the silver-haired, short-tempered hanyou. It was the first time she had gazed at the…
…the what? The only man she would ever love in her life? The memory gently drifted up, like a lost water lily petal in a lake.
"Kagome?" a soft voice asked. She turned her head around and her heart nearly burst as her eyes met his. The pure sight of him made her mind race in the realization that she loved him. She loved him so much...so much that it nearly hurt. Her heart seemed to want to beat its way out of her chest.
Had she thought that? Long ago? It seemed like years had passed since then. She had had no doubts of her feelings for a long time, yet each time her heart beat so, it was like realizing it all over again.
In a few days, her heart would never beat like that again.
Her gaze dropped, but she still walked on. Silver tears appeared and ran down her cheeks in silence, arms firmly at her sides. She dared not raise a hand to wipe them in fear that the others would notice. She had cried too much as of late, she knew. Yet knowing was one thing, stopping was another.
"Kagome?" It was not only one voice, but two. InuYasha's was the first she recognized, but when she looked at his face, he was not looking at her. His eyes were turned away towards Kagome's left. It took her only a moment to realize that Kouga's voice had been the second. Had she been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had not noticed the presence of the jewel shards? What had InuYasha been thinking about that he had not smelled Kouga approach?
"What are you doing here, you filthy wolf?" InuYasha spat, hands already curled into fists.
To Kagome's great surprise, Kouga completely ignored the hanyou. He was staring at Kagome with anxiously heavy blue eyes. A briskly cool breeze made Kagome realize what he was staring at.
"Kouga, I---," was all she managed to get out.
"Was it him?" he demanded. His voice never sounded so cold. His eyes had lost their shocked warmth and were white fury. Not at her though, she was sure.
"What? No, no, of course not! InuYasha didn't do anything to me," Kagome explained, hurriedly drying her cheeks with the back of her hands.
"He's making you say that!" he insisted at the same time InuYasha growled, "What do you mean by that!"
Turning violently to face InuYasha, Kouga hollered out, "Why is she crying you stupid mutt! What did you do to her?"
"Back off! I didn't do anything to her! It's none of your business anyway!" InuYasha roared back.
"Kagome crying is my business! She's my woman after all! I have a right to know---"
"SHE'S NOT YOUR WOMAN!" InuYasha cut in a nearly deafening howl.
"SHUT UP! I love Kagome! I already claimed her as mine so you can just back off!"
"Why you filthy---!"
"STOP!" Kagome screamed between their vicious throws at each other. Her high voice immediately cut through their argument as well as the blackening night. The sun was long gone, but the silver moon made the night bright enough to see clearly.
"Stop fighting already! I'm sick of you two always starting a fight as soon as you see each other!" She heatedly twirled on her heel and threw glares of ice at InuYasha. "InuYasha! If you don't stop it right now I'll sit you until your bones shatter!" InuYasha thumped to the ground by her accident command, but she ignored it stubbornly as she spun towards Kouga. "And you, Kouga! I may not be able to control you the same way, but if you keep this up, I swear I'll make you regret it!" Perhaps her eyes truly did glow red with fury or perhaps it was just the heat in her voice, but it still came as a shock to see the rare dumb-founded look on the wolf youkai's face.
Finally stopping her reign on the two she crossed her arms in front of her, ignoring both the uncomfortable shocked silence and the mumbles of InuYasha as he drew himself back on his feet. When it was confirmed that they would not fight again, Kagome continued.
"Now listen, Kouga, I was not crying because of anything InuYasha did," she began. 'I'll have to tell him the truth or else he'll keep fighting with InuYasha until I get back,' she thought with a suppressed sigh before continuing in a much calmer tone. "It was because of something that I decided to do."
Kouga's face flashed brief curiosity before blinking and waiting for her to explain. Kagome hesitated for a heartbeat once more, but forced herself to plough on. "Kouga, you have to understand that what I am about to tell you was my own choice. No one forced me to. Especially not InuYasha."
When Kouga did not explode again at the hanyou's name, "A few days ago...Miroku discovered the secret to destroying Naraku." Kouga's eyes shot wide open and his mouth began to move in speech, but Kagome hurried on. She had to get this out without interruption or else it would be so much harder. "We already made the plan to defeat him, but I can't tell you anything about it in case some of Naraku's spies are near by." How would he take the truth? Worse than Jinenji or Kaede did, without doubt.
"But then why were you crying, Kagome?" the wolf demon said quietly in her moment of thought.
Her head snapped back up to meet his gaze. She hadn't realized that she had not been looking at him during her explanation. She would have to say it now, there was nothing for it. "Kouga, you have a right to know that part of the plan is for me to…to give up my life."
If she had thought there had been uncomfortable silence before, she was wrong. Kouga's eyes seemed to bore through her skin without a single blink. She knew her face was flushed, though she wasn't sure why, but she firmly stayed beneath his stare.
Without warning, Kouga's face suddenly broke into a wide smile and began laughing in loud woops. The others stared at him in bewilderment, save InuYasha who stared with a desire to kill. Tears were beginning to leak out from the corner of his eyes and he was a step away from slapping his knee when he finally forced himself to calm down. Chuckling under his breath, he rubbed his eyes with the same smile. "That was a good trick, Kagome. I almost believed you for a minute," he admitted casually.
Kagome frowned sadly and pushed back a sigh. Instead, she looked at him with the most serious expression she could muster. "This is not a joke, Kouga. I'm telling the truth."
His mirthful grin dropped a little, but belief was still no where to be seen on his face. "Is this some weird trick the mutt put you up to? 'Cause I get it now and---"
"Kouga." Her voice was not harsh or impatient. If anything, it was pleading. "InuYasha did not put me up to anything."
His smile finally vanished. Blinking, he muttered, "But why would you make up---?"
"Kouga," she repeated, this time with a hint of impatience in her tone. "I am serious. We've found the way to kill Naraku and if we do, I will have to give up my life."
Quiet washed over them. Kouga resumed his staring again, this time the calculations obviously rolling through his head. Suddenly, Kouga snapped his head away from her and threw a vicious death glare at InuYasha. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" he shrieked at him. Kagome resisted throttling him by a hair.
InuYasha opened his mouth to shriek back, but Kagome interrupted him before they could begin scratching at each other's throats again. "He didn't do anything, Kouga! This was my choice! InuYasha was against it the whole time!"
Kouga threw his gaze back at Kagome. "I don't believe it! There's no way you would do something like this! He must have made you do it! I knew---!"
"Kouga---"
"No, Kagome! I knew leaving you with that pathetic excuse for a demon would get you in danger! I'm not going to let him take your life! Even if I---!"
"Kouga!" It was not Kagome's voice, but InuYasha's. The wolf demon cut off abruptly and snapped his head towards the hanyou. InuYasha looked calmer than anyone who knew him would have expected. The second surprise came to blow when his friends realized that he had used Kouga's name. Not "shut-up-you-mangy-wolf" or "get-away-from-Kagome" or "say-that-to-my-sword", but plain Kouga.
"I never defend anything Kagome wants when it comes to you, but for once listen to her! She is telling the truth and if you deny it now, you'll regret it more than you know! And don't you dare yell at Kagome again or I'll kill you."
Stunned silence was present again, save for Kagome's shocked whisper of "InuYasha..."
Kouga broke his stare at the hanyou and switched it to Kagome for a moment before going back. "So you are telling the truth..." he muttered, not to InuYasha, but to Kagome.
"Yes," Kagome breathlessly mumbled back, sounding relieved. As if suddenly realizing again that Kagome was there, he twisted back with a half-surprised look planted on his face, though it soon faded.
"Why..." he whispered, "Why are you doing this, Kagome?"
"I have to," she answered simply. "It's why I came here in the first place."
He took a step closer. "But...why?"
"If Naraku didn't exist, you'd be with your wolf tribe. Sango would be with her brother in their village. Miroku's father would still be alive. InuYasha...InuYasha would have what he's always wanted." 'Best leave it at that,' she thought bitterly. "The sacred jewel would be whole. I would still be with my family and I would live to see my next birthday." She gave a shaky breath. "If I don't do this, everything Naraku's done to our lives will never go avenged. His plotting will never stop. I have to do this, Kouga. I have to..."
Kouga's breathing seemed loud to her ears. She could almost hear the thoughts rumbling behind his hard blue eyes.
"I promise," he muttered.
"Kouga?"
"I promise to be there with you," he continued. "I promise to fight with you. If I can't save you, I'll fight for you."
Kagome felt her nose start to tingle, but her eyes felt too dry for tears to flow. "Kouga...I can't..."
"Kagome, I love you. I want to save you from this." He took her hands, but she barely noticed. "But I can't..."
Without warning, Kouga pulled her into his embrace. Holding her tight, he rested his cheek on the side of her head. Kagome waited for InuYasha's hands to rip Kouga away, but it never came. If she could have seen, she'd have seen the hanyou turn away with an unreadable expression. Could he possibly understand?
Kouga pulled Kagome away, but kept her hands. "I have to go home to say goodbye to my family," she said softly. Kouga nodded and reluctantly dropped her hands.
"I promise to be with you on the day of the attack. I'll fight for you in any way I can" was his answer. She nodded thankfully and turned to look at each face of her friends before resting on the well. Approaching it, she looked down into its black depths. This would be her final fall through time...
Turning away, she looked at her friends faces again. Sango's was regretful; Miroku's was a stern sadness. Shippou's was on the verge of tears and Kouga's was like a man going into battle and knowing he'll not survive. InuYasha's...his held a kind of longing. Longing to save, to embrace, to speak. She held his eyes for a few extra moments.
"I'll be back in one day," she said softly, reluctantly. Turning away, she placed one knee on the edge of the well. Hesitating for a moment, she side-glanced back before looking forward again. Pushing herself on, she let herself drop into the dark shadows of time.
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Hoped you liked it. Sorry it took so long to update. I've got many excuses, but you don't want to hear those.
I have a couple of things to say. First of all, Jinenji is not in love with Kagome, so I'm sorry if it appeared that way in this chapter. Second of all, review! They are one of the main things I get out of writing fanfictions so please remember to do so!
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to update the next chapter in a week or two. Thank you for your patience!
