T i t l e : Second Path
R a t i n g : R
P a i r i n g : Sesshoumaru/Kagome
D i s c l a i m e r : Not mine!
S u m m a r y : Naraku is dead. Peace is restored. Or is it? Kagome's selfless wish for everything to be restored and Naraku's nonexistence has backfired. How? You'll see.
P l e a : Pleaseplease review. I really want to know how I can improve my fanfiction so if you have any opinions or suggestions, I beg you not to hesitate. ;3;
Second Path
Chapter Two
Monday, two days after the shocking revelation of Midoriko, Kagome continued on with her life as if nothing had happened. She told no one of her regained memories, no one of the secrets the well held, and nothing of the new task she was given. She nearly fooled herself in the process. Note the word 'almost'.
Kagome rubbed her chin a bit as she returned to the well once more. She had assumed that when Midoriko spoke of returning, she meant right away. That night, she had rushed upstairs to grab her yellow bag and immediately filled it with what she determined as necessities, namely her clothes, food, and medical supplies, and just as quickly ran down the stairs to jump into the well. Needless to say, things did not go down pretty when the well did not activate as it should have.
Sniffing, Kagome turned away from the well in favor of doing something less harmful. She had since then figured that it wasn't time for her revisit and when it was, she'll get a sign. It wasn't as if she was excited to try that stunt again. Her ankle STILL hurt.
Her mind wandered as she walked out to the God Tree, facing its glory, she began to dwell on Inuyasha once again. With a twinge of longing, she ran her hands across the bark of the ancient tree and felt herself tear up. Angrily, she wiped the unwanted distraction away, unwilling to drown in self pity. Inuyasha is happy, Inuyasha is happy, Inuyasha was happy….
Groaning, she rested her back onto the strong pillar and slid down slowly, uncaring of the damage to her uniform. She needed to quickly face the new reality. Inuyasha would not remember her when she returned. Inuyasha and Kikyo would be hopelessly in love. Happy together and unaware of the four years of struggle Inyasha and Kagome had suffered together, the many years of bonding…all lost.
Turning to the tree, she allowed herself to pound onto its structure; angry at herself, angry at the jewel, and just plain angry. "I knew that this was going to happen! We all decided together that it'll be for the best! You agreed damn you! Stop acting like a baby!" Screaming into the bark and continuously slamming her fists onto its surface, she felt her frustration lessen. Each time the fist connected with the hard surface, she felt herself accept more and more of the hopelessness in her situation.
There was no changing. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Inuyasha, Kirara, Kaede...they're all going to live out their life as they should have, they're all happy now. They deserved happiness and she knew that. That was why it was done. That was why everyone swallowed their sadness and fears. This was their second chance…to live a life of contentment and-.
"Kagome?" Souta whispered out to the teen reluctantly. He had been there from the beginning, and saying that he was nervous to approach his sister was a huge understatement. However, his brotherly instincts strengthened when he found the tear tracks on his sister's face and straightened his spine as he went to sit beside her. He was the man of the family now, and by god, he'll act like one.
"What's wrong?" he whispered innocently, as if it were too private for the world to hear.
Kagome glanced away from the tree to her younger brother and managed a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes…but they were getting there. "There was a bug."
"…."
Souta held Kagome's eyes with a soft skeptical look. "Are you sure?"
Leaning back against the tree, Kagome brought her knees up to her chest and allowed her chin to rest upon them. She sighed; one thing she had been neglecting was how she was to tell her family of her so called duty. They had yet to remember and she started to doubt that they would. Would they believe her? She snuck at glance at Souta who had turned his gaze to the ground. Would Souta believe her? She knew Grandpa would, he was always quick to believe the unbelievable. She frowned a little, her mother had been quick to believe her back then as well…but that was after she came back from the well, would she be able to go to and fro this time?
"Souta…" Kagome began, uncertain how to continue, but seeing the curious look on her brother's face she figured it was worth a shot. "I…I was visited by this…spirit the other day…and well." Noting the disbelieving look on her brother's face, she figured it was a silly idea in the first place. She looked away up to the sky, silently comparing the sky of the feudal era and that of hers. Oh…she already missed the sky of the feudal era….
"I liked this boy."
Startled, Souta widened his eyes but rolled them after recovering. She was always talking about boys.
"He …or I liked to think that he liked me back. For a while maybe…just a little…."
Unseen to her, Souta nodded for her to continue.
"But he liked this other girl before me." She turned to her brother with a carefully guarded look, as if to shield him from her own childish jealousies. "A girl much pretty, stronger, and smarter-."
"Was she kinder?" Souta shot back, immediately not liking the direction it was headed. Sure, she chased him around the house, but that's what sisters did darn it. He was aware of how kind and caring his sister was and though he'd rather cut his tongue then tell her, she was pretty too!
"-Hmm. I think I win that one." Kagome smiled. She knew of Kikyo's kindness, but she knew of how reserved she was as well. Someone who was unable to love due to her duties…Kagome's eyes glazed over in memory. The woman she had known was merely a shell of what the great priestess was once like. Her thoughts returned to the present as Souta let out a triumphant 'hmmph.' Kagome's smile flashed once more before she returned to her conversation.
"They're together now. Happy I guess. But they don't remember me." 'They won't ever remember me.' Kagome said softly, knowing full well that Souta will not understand, but she found that speaking to him allowed a little of the burden to lift from her heart, as if she was letting it out. It worked much better than beating on a tree. That helped with her frustration, but her hands stung afterwards.
"Then it's obvious that the guy wasn't meant for you. You'll get someone better." Souta stated firmly, completing the statement with a set of clenched jaws and frown. He looked very determined and convinced. His sister was a great person; there will be someone equally as great for her. "But then again, I don't blame the guy for running."
Kagome twirled to face her brother in mock anger. "Say what!" Both Higurashis ran off, the taller chasing the shorter and both adorned with smiles.
"Thank you Souta." Kagome whispered to herself. She was very thankful indeed.
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Kagome stared at the letters on her desk with a scowl. She. Was. Such. A. Coward. But she didn't know how else she was going to tell them. She wasn't even sure when she will be called upon to leave and there was no guarantee that she'll be able to convince her family of what was going on. It was best to let it happen…and leave them an explanation. Right?
Sighing, Kagome pushed away from her desk with her arms and allowed her chair to roll her to the middle of the room. Just what has she gotten herself into this time? How was she supposed to help save the past with her measly skills anyway? Sure, she had lots of spiritual power, she had regained her skills and experience…but honestly, it wouldn't be enough. Especially if someone as great as Midoriko had as much trouble as she did….
When sudden warmth had spread inside her chest and had taken her by surprise, Kagome's thoughts scattered as she shot up out of her seat. "What was that?" She panted to herself, her wide eyes looking around her. It was then she saw the light outside her window…in the direction of the well house.
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Sesshoumaru blinked as he took in the scene before him. In the second he had to ponder where he was and why he was there, he had also wondered why he had to question himself. Something seemed…off. After one sniff, he deduced that it was Jaken's extreme stench that was affecting his mind's works. Looking behind to for Jaken was below him so he restrained himself as he felt the boat continue forward, the boat that he had stolen from the now very dead humans.
He'd scoff, but that wasn't something a great lord such as him would do. It had been so easy to take the boat from the humans, but what more can one expect from the lowly creatures. He mockingly allowed one moment of pause and reflection, and then reasoned that there was nothing much to expect from the race of smelly and decaying life forms. They were dying from the moment they were born.
Jaken had began to speak behind him, but Sesshoumaru only paid him half a mind as he slowly began to recollect that he was in search of his father's fang, the Tessaiga. How could he forget such an important expedition like that? He allowed his eyebrows to tense minutely, nothing that others can recognize as a frown, but it gave him relief to exercise just that little amount of expression. As schooled as he was, there were moments when remaining expressionless was difficult, such as staying in Jaken's presence for long periods of time. Perhaps he should drown him in this river in a secret attempt to bathe him.
The moment he recognized the name 'Inuyasha' from Jaken's speech, that was all the encouragement he needed and he did just that. He did not even watch as the demon floundered in the water. However, as he pieced together the bits and pieces of their one-sided conversation, he felt that visiting Inuyasha may aid in their search of Tessaiga after all. He'll just allow Jaken shoulder the blame were it to come out against their favor. Not that handling Inuyasha was difficult. It was merely an annoyance that he had hoped to avoid for a longer period of time.
And that was why Sesshoumaru was headed in the direction of Inuyasha's forest where everything started and where the second path would be found.
(I was going to end it here…but…bleh. xD) -------------------------------------------------
It felt as if her heart was going to explode out of her chest, and in attempt to assure herself that the rapid organ would stay inside where it belonged, she allowed her hand to apply a little pressure over her breast as the other clutched onto the strap of backpack. She was going back. Like…right now.
Her mind raced in incredible speed as she could have sworn that she tasted her own nervousness in her mouth. Half her anxiety was due to her effort to sneak out of the house unnoticed. The adrenaline rushed in her bloodstream as her heart continued its pounding. She hoped that she wouldn't end up unconscious from it all.
Walking on her toes, she cursed every stray creak in the wood, and glared at her backpack every time it brushed up against the walls. Every noise in the house was magnified approximately hundred times its normal volume as the young girl challenged the normal nature of her clumsy self. The stairs had proven to be the greatest adversary she had ever faced; it was both stubborn and evil. Kagome KNEW it didn't make that much noise normally, it was just doing that to spite her. Especially now that it was almost a life and death situation, it had come back with a vengeance for all the times she had stomped, tumbled, and just stepped upon it.
When the door had become visible, with a triumphant glare pointed at the stairs, she raced for it in ninja mode, making sure to leave the missives on the table in the living room, where she knew would be found by her mother in the morning.
Upon reaching the gateway to the outside world, she looked back once, finding that it was a silly thing to do as tears began to cloud her vision. It wasn't as if she would never return to them right? She couldn't for the life of her explain her tears, but this time, she let them fall. She mouthed 'I love you' to the occupants of the house, opened the door, and let herself out.
Once outside, she wasted no time in reaching the still shining well house and flung herself down the stairs beyond the door and slowed when she reached the well. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she placed her hands on the rim and felt the ripple of power go through her. She shivered lightly in anticipation. It was time and she was as ready as she'll ever be.
In a flash of movement, before she gave herself time to think herself out of this, she jumped down the well into the time period she once knew as her second home. As the blue light engulfed her, the gentle wave of magic wrapped itself around her form as she continued down. Silly and fleeting thoughts began to pop in and out of her head as she gazed down the tunnel of light and began to nervously pull on the ends of her shirt once her feet touched the grounds of the well of the other side.
She was here. She was back to the beginning.
Glancing up above her and seeing the stars and vast sky of the night, she began to climb up the vines that had formed on the side of the well. Grinning at how she was prepared with short pants this time for she had learned that though a skirt was cute and flaunted her feminine attributes, it was hardly an appropriate for battles against big and nasty demons, she gave herself a small pat on the back for both a good job well done and reaching the top in less than it usually had taken her. Ah, such was youth.
She let herself sit on the edge for a moment as she took in the surroundings once more and allowed herself another deep breath. A small smile found its way on her face as she enjoyed the clean air of the feudal era.
"Yep. The air in my time can't even compare to this." She said with a sigh.
Pushing herself off, and making sure to dusting her rear because walking around with smudges on her behind was just plain embarrassing, she looked at the familiar paths before her. There was the road to the God Tree, and the other to Kaede's Village. Which was she to take? Would Kaede accept her this time as well? What time had she returned to? Was Inuyasha and Kikyo still alive or were they….
"Oh Inuyasha…." Kagome paused with a heavy sigh. She would not start now; she had already accepted the unchangeable state of affairs. However, she realized that she was no longer alone when she felt a recognizable aura that could belong to none other than….
She looked to the path that led to the God Tree. Sesshoumaru was there and approaching fast…. Gripped by sudden fear as she remembered his initial hatred of humans, she felt her body rooted to the spot as the aura continued to grow closer and it did not take long for demon himself to appear before her.
If she thought she had felt fear before, she was wrong for true fear was what raced through her veins when he fixated his golden gaze on her.
"Human. Where is Inuyasha."
A/N: scratches head I hope I'm not frustrating anyone with the pace I've set. Now to work on my art history essay yeyeyey. /not.
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