I know it's taking me a while, but I've been watching the fourth movie! I got so many inspirations on this story from it, I had to get them all organized into what I was going to put into it and what I wasn't. So, all I have to say is, enjoy and review any comments you might have!
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"Took a walk, needed to clear my head- Kagome left, she's back in her time. If I'm not back by the time you read this, go ahead keep heading to Kaede's like we've been doing if you want to, I'll catch up. Inuyasha," Miroku looked up from the scrawled kanji written on the piece of paper to watch for Sango's reaction. Her face maintained its thoughtful expression ever since they had awoken to find that half of the campsite was missing, as were half of its inhabitants. Now that some of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, it was pretty easy to guess what had happened. There was no denying that Kagome had been upset with Inuyasha for seeing Kikyo yesterday. Inuyasha had returned sometime while they were asleep- the note verified that- and was most likely met with a hurt and angered Kagome. What had taken place between them was still unclear, but they could safely assume that whatever interaction occurred between the two was the cause of Kagome's taking leave in the middle of the night. After a pregnant pause hung over the campsite for a few moments, Miroku stretched his arms behind his head a moment.
"Well, Inuyasha did say that he would catch up, so let's keep moving since there's nothing left to do." Sango nodded absentmindedly and lifted the Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder. Turning to pick up a still slumbering Kirara, she squatted and gathered the sleepy fire cat into her arms. As she stood, she saw that Miroku had already tucked Shippo into the crook of his arm to let the kitsune sleep a little longer. Giving her a nod signifying that he was ready, he took lead of the two and led Sango closer to Kaede's village.
--meanwhile…--
He had to see her again.
He knew that he had been warned not to come anywhere near the well until he had made the decision, but it was killing him not seeing Kagome, having her leave without a smile or a certain glitter in her eyes he had so easily taken for granted. Her absence was driving him insane with guilt and worry, and –against his better judgment- he walked out of Kaede's hut to the path to the Bone Eater's Well. Kaede had warned him that she had a bad feeling about him leaving, but he insisted on at least trying to make things right. How he was supposed to patch up a hole he knew was on the brink of unfixable was still a mystery to the hanyou, but he was pretty good at rolling with the punches. He was so lost in thought he almost failed to realize that he had just entered the clearing and was now mere feet away from the old well. He froze in his footsteps, placing a clawed hand on the lip of the ancient time portal. Should he do this? Was it like old Kaede said- that something bad would come out of this? He didn't know what to think anymore. He reverted to his instincts and let himself fall into the well's dark depths. Before his feet ever felt the floor, he was welcomed to the ever blue realm of rippling time streams whizzing past him. Kagome's era enveloped him within a white light, bringing him to the said time period.
For a few moments, he simply stood there in a stupor, trying to collect his thoughts. What was he going to tell her? That he hadn't made up his mind, but he missed her terribly and couldn't wait another minute to see her again? The last part might sound a bit romantic, but she would be infuriated when she found out that he still hadn't chosen. He gulped nervously, trying to shrug off the chill he felt crawling along his spine before he hopped out of the well effortlessly and began to ascend the steps of the Shrine. Sliding one of the doors to the side only enough for him to slip through, the hanyou closed it behind him once he was outside. He expected to become overwhelmed with the loud sound of those "cars" her time always had, but was surprised to find that the whole world had fallen silent, giving the hanyou the feeling as if he was the earth's main focus at that moment. He shook it off and began to cross the shrine grounds toward the Higurashi household with hesitant footfalls. As he neared the house, he veered left, heading to Kagome's bedroom window, as he always had. He paused underneath the window a moment, turning away from it to face the Sacred Tree before leaping onto the branch that jutted out close to Kagome's window. With abnormal grace and balance, he walked across the branch toward the window. Reaching out, he slid the glass panel aside smoothly and entered the empty room. He breathed in her soothing scent deeply, only to nearly choke on the breath. The mixed-in scent of tears was so strong in this room his head started spinning. He shook off the dizziness as the door unexpectedly opened, revealing his wonderful Kagome wearing a silk black nightgown with spaghetti straps that came just above the knees. Her eyes connected with his for only an instant before her hazel eyes widened and a gasp slipped through her lips.
"Kagome…I…" The words died on his tongue as he felt his heart flutter at the very sight of her. Once she had gotten over initial shock, she lowered her head to hide behind her thick ebony bangs. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't let him see her bloodshot eyes, couldn't let him feel her heart pounding in her chest, couldn't let him see what she was thinking. For once, she had to let herself follow Kikyo's footsteps in her own different way. She had to show no emotion.
"Have you decided?" There was a pregnant pause in the air as he stiffened. There was nothing in her voice- no pain, misery, sorrow…no emotion…nothing. She still had not met eyes with him, letting her bangs cloak her hazel eyes. He lowered his head slightly, his ears flattening against his skull. No more words were needed to be said. She understood perfectly.
"So, you can't make up your mind." It seemed more a statement than a question, but Inuyasha found himself responding anyway. "…I came…I came because…" Gods, how was he supposed to get through this without screwing it up? He wanted to sink to his knees and beg like the lost puppy that he was for her forgiveness. He would have if it had not been for his arrogant pride.
"…I just wanted to see you. Is that so much to ask…?" Her head snapped up, though it wasn't the reaction he had expected. Rather than look surprised or shocked, she looked insulted, furious, depressed, and hurt more than she had ever looked all these months of him knowing her.
"What if I didn't want to see you? What if I'm tired of being around a disgusting half-breed that refuses to give my heart a break? What if what you want and what I want are two entirely different things, Inuyasha? Did you ever stop to think about what I felt? No, you didn't. Because of that, this is where we are, this is where we stand. I don't want to associate myself with you anymore…I…I HATE YOU!" Inuyasha's heart couldn't have been in smaller pieces than it was at that moment. There, the woman that had stayed beside him through thick and thin, the girl who healed his cold and broken heart, the friend that had cared for him when no one else would, had been broken for the final time. He had a tight feeling in his stomach that was warning him that this was the terminal stop for them. This was it. He had pushed her too far, and now…now she wasn't coming back.
"…F-fine then…Kagome…" He lowered his head before she could see the tears that now trekked down his face sluggishly. He did nothing to get rid of them. Rather, he turned and practically flew out the window. He didn't notice himself falling down the well. He didn't register the time rip opening up to him, or welcome him back to the Feudal Era. He was broken. He was hollow. He was empty. He barely felt his feet touch the dirt of the well bottom. Oh, how tempted he was to sink to his knees and drown in his own agony, but he had to do what he always had.
He had to run.
He had to get away, get away from it all.
He leapt out of the well, barely waiting for an instant before he raced blindly through the forest, trying to see through the blur of his tears. His legs screamed for him to stop, but he was in automatic. He kept going. He ran further and further away from the village, deeper into the forest, escaping the well, hiding from his pain, keeping his past away from him. His legs burned with the want to end this pointless running, but there was his heart screaming for him to get further away.
Don't stop…don't stop…
This was hell. This inner turmoil was slowly killing him from the inside out. He had to breathe, his lungs cried out for it, but he just ran. He just ran from the pain that he knew would eventually catch up to him no matter how far he ran, or how fast. It was his shadow. It was his life. He couldn't escape it, no matter how far he pushed himself. His pain was always right there, right in his heart.
…don't stop…you need to keep moving…keep running…get away from it all…
He ran still further, nearing the bay where he and Kagome had sat not so long ago, when he apologized for insulting her. He needed to run away from that, too. It was connected to Kagome. He needed to keep going further, further away. His eyes had refused to end their flow of tears, trying to wash his pain away with the foreign salty water that escaped from his amber orbs.
…don't…
His legs gave one last shudder before he broke down on the dirt floor of the earth. Tears continued to stream from his now tightly shut eyes as he gripped his fingers in the dirt tightly. He never gave off a single indication that he was crying, other than the actual tears that fell. His lungs finally got the air they begged for, his back heaving quietly from lack of breath. His entire body throbbed with emotional pain that he had tried escaping, only to be stabbed in the back by it with an even stronger force than he had anticipated.
Get up! You need to keep moving! Don't let it keep up with you! Don't stop!
He didn't move for the longest while, not even caring that the sun had now come to set against the west horizon, almost failing to even register the fact, but when he finally managed to lift his head from the earth's ashy floor, opening his amber eyes, parting his thick eyelashes, still sticky from the tears that remained suspended on their tips. He carefully lifted himself from the ground and began stumbling back toward the village. There was no running. There was no hiding. There was only pain. That's all there was to it. His legs were visibly shaking under his weight as he neared the village. He lifted his head lazily and sniffed the air once to see how far off he had ran. From the weakness of Kaede's scent, he must have run at least ten miles. He had a lot of walking to do, and with his current condition with his legs…he wasn't so sure he'd make it until late tonight.
-…meanwhile…-
"Why, Inuyasha's came and gone. He left at half past sunrise and went to the well. I haven't seen him since, why do ye ask?" Kaede asked as the sun slipped underneath the horizon and darkness shrouded the skies. Sango and Miroku had just arrived and were curious as to the whereabouts of their hanyou friend. Well, at least he's trying to make it up to Kagome. Miroku cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Did he mention going in the well?" Kaede sighed heavily, setting her mug of warm tea down and folding her hands within her kimono sleeves.
"Aye, that he did- I tried to stop him; I had a terrible feeling about it, but he insisted he make things right with Kagome. Oh-!" Kaede gasped as Inuyasha dragged his feet inside. Never had he appeared so broken to the others. His shoulders sagged sadly, his ears pressed against his skull, his legs shaking noticeably…what happened?
"Inuyasha…?" The said hanyou was unresponsive to Shippo's little voice, and simply slid down the wall across from them, bringing his knees to his chest. He just stared blankly just past his knees at the floor, his eyes barely open and dull. No matter what anyone said, he simply remained unresponsive and no matter how many times Kaede urged him to, he refused to sleep.
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IT'S NOT THE END! IT'S NOT THE END! Press the little button below to review! You know you want to!