Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Five

Kagome and Takumi: Love Reincarnate

The rising sun caused the sky to blush rosily, as the last of the stars faded away. Two bright ones ran parallel before fading away into the sunlight. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen a third star to appear next to the pair.

Kagome opened her grey eyes to find Eri staring at her.

"She's awake!" the girl hollered, causing Kagome to clap her hands over her ears.

"Sheesh Eri, are you trying to make me deaf?" snapped Kagome. With the little sleep she had gotten, she was not in a very good mood. But Eri turned a grinning face to Kagome.

"Happy birthday!" she hollered again, and Kagome smiled at that. She had forgotten, unbelievably, that she was fifteen today. "Hurry," Eri said. "We let you sleep in, we don't have much time before we have to leave." Kagome glanced at the clock and yelped.

"I've got ten minutes!" Leaping up, she frantically dashed through the room, grabbing the necessary items before disappearing into the bathroom. Eri giggled, and left the room. Nine minutes and forty-one seconds later, Kagome appeared downstairs. She had taken perhaps the faster shower of her life, and her hair framed her face damply. Her eyes widened at the site before her.

"We made you a birthday breakfast!" her trio of friends announced. Kagome's eyes glanced at the clock in confusion. "Yeah, I set my clock ahead, so you would have time to eat," Eri sheepishly admitted. Kagome felt her bad mood getting worse. She knew her friends were trying though, so she attempted a happy face.

"Thanks! Let's dig in then, huh?"


After breakfast, the girls biked to school. Kagome looked everywhere for Takumi on the grounds, but didn't see him. Disappointed, she followed her friends inside.

"Kagome!" At the sound of his voice, Kagome whirled around, her face shining with a smile. A tall boy was approaching her, brushing dark hair out of his face. The cut was a typical short cut, but the bangs were always fall into his eyes. They were violet, and now were smiling into her grey ones.

"Takumi!" she exclaimed, rushing towards him. If anyone could brighten her day, her cheerful boyfriend certainly could. He held his arms open, and captured Kagome in a huge hug.

"Happy birthday, little miko," he whispered in her ear. He had called her a miko from the first day he learned she lived at the shrine, insisting that she was the perfect candidate to be one. Kagome didn't mind, she liked that he thought she held that sort of mystical power. All too soon, he released her from the hug and presented her with a tiny gift. "This is the first part of your birthday surprise," he announced, a twinkle in his violet eyes. Kagome opened it carefully, and gasped.

"Oh wow..." It was a tiny charm bracelet, with three charms already attached. Closer inspection revealed three tiny swords. The amount of detail on the tiny objects was astounding. Kagome would've sworn one looked like it had been battle scarred already. "It's amazing!"

"I knew you'd like it," Takumi smirked. She grinned up at him as he carefully latched it on her wrist. "Let's head to class," he said, and taking her hand proceeded to lead her. Sighing happily, Kagome allowed herself to lean her head against his shoulder, feeling her bad move evaporate. Takumi always had that effect on her. Half the time he infuriated her, with his impish nature and love of jokes, but he also always knew exactly what to say to keep her spirits up. Ayumi once had told her that the two must be starcrossed lovers, but Kagome had rolled her eyes at the romantic thought. She much preferred Takumi as he was – a funny guy who genuinely liked her.


After school Takumi and Kagome headed back to the shrine, waving at her three smiling friends. The day was beautiful, with the sun beating down, warming the couple. Once there, they stood beneath the largest tree on the grounds, allowing the shade to cool themselves down. Takumi pulled Kagome close and kissed her.

"That was the second part," he whispered huskily in her ear after pulling away. She giggled and leaned against him. They were close to the well house, and she was feeling an uncomfortable urge to go to the small building. Leaning against Takumi somewhat alleviated this.

"Is this gift going to keep coming in small parts?" she asked him. He chuckled.

"Of course. If it lasts all day, that makes it all the more special." He looked down at the girl snuggled against him and smiled. "But I have another part."

"Show me!" Kagome immediately looked up and held out her hands. Takumi laughed again, and placed another small gift in her hands. Eagerly, she unwrapped it, and pulled out a long silver chain, with a tiny black ball as the bauble.

"It's a black pearl," Takumi explained. "Been in the family for ages."

"Are you sure then, that you want to give it to me?" Kagome asked breathlessly. He nodded, his black hair flopping into his eyes. She smiled then, and pushed it back from his face. "Please put it on." Giving him the necklace, she turned around and lifted her hair off her shoulders. He wrapped around her, latching it around her slender neck. Once finished, he turned her back around and kissed her again. Kagome melted into him, and started to believe that maybe Ayumi had been right.


Mrs. Higurashi had invited Takumi to stay for dinner, but he had declined, saying he had something else that needed attending too. Then he winked at Kagome and left. She had smiled to herself all through dinner, then gone outside the shrine to wait for him to return. As the sun set and the stars came out, she noticed a little group of three stars, all clumped together. It didn't seem unusual, but it did strike her.

Then the pain hit. Right in her side, a sharp sudden stab, quick enough to leave her gasping for breath. And again, there was that undescribable urge to go to the well house. In too much pain to think much about it, Kagome half stumbled, half crawled towards the innocent little building, dreading what she was doing.

"What's happening?" she whispered to herself, getting dizzier the closer she got. Her hand on the door, there was that same chilling wind as before, only now she couldn't run away. Voices were screaming in her mind for her to go inside. She threw the door open, and gasped. The well was glowing a strange pink color, illuminating the room. Tripping inside, she fell onto the well covering. Without knowing quite what she was doing, Kagome pulled the covering off.

"What the–" Grey eyes wide with shock, Kagome stared down at the figure below her. A man with long white hair, dressed in red, and also covered with blood lay motionless at the bottom of the well.


Author's Notes: Sorry, I meant to get three chapters up, but only two got written. Forgive me please! Anyway, was this a good enough cliffie for ya? Mwahaha!

And Inuyasha and Essence: Don't worry, I am definitely planning on a happy ending. I have this pretty well mapped out in my mind, but there is probably going to be lots of angst and tragedy before the happiness. But there will be a happy ending. I love happy endings!