Note: In this chapter, I am focusing on what is going on through Kagome's head. She is experiencing on the many theories of what your soul might be going through when you are experiencing between life and death.
Chapter 16: Beyond
"Kagome, wake up." Stated Eri, as she shook Kagome's shoulder.
"What." Yawned Kagome, as she raised her head off her desk.
"Kagome, class is over." Stated Ayumi.
Kagome sleepy vision became clear as she saw all three of her friends standing around her in the classroom.
"If you keep falling asleep and not pay attention in class, you will never pass your high school entrance exam." Teased Yuka.
"Get off my back Yuka." Stated Kagome, as she roused from her desk.
Kagome's three friends were silent. Kagome blinked and realized what she said was harsh. "I'm sorry Yuka. A lot of things have been going on and I guess it made me more tired than I realized."
"Yeah, I guess with all the diseases you been having, I guess it would cause your body not to function probably." Stated Eri.
Kagome nodded. She hated lying to her friends, but she knew couldn't tell them the truth that she was really traveling through time.
"Hey Kagome." Yelled a familiar voice from across the classroom.
Kagome and her friends turned their attentions towards the exit of the classroom. There stood Hojo as he made his was towards her.
"Hi Hojo." Stated Kagome.
"I am glad you are feeling better. Will you be coming back to school tomorrow?" asked Hojo, anciently waiting, hoping Kagome's answer is yes.
"Yeah, I guess." Answered Kagome, confused, trying to make clear out of all of this. She doesn't even remember coming to class this morning.
"Great, then I will see tomorrow and if you are feeling better this weekend, maybe we can go see a movie." Asked Hojo.
"Umm, yeah I guess." Responded Kagome, as she looked down on her desk, still confused by her surroundings.
"Great. I am looking forward to it. Bye." Stated Hojo, as he walked outside of the classroom.
"Hey Kagome, won't your boyfriend get jealous?" asked Eri.
"Boyfriend?" asked Kagome, confused.
"Yeah, that jealous boyfriend you have been seeing." Asked Yuka.
"InuYasha! That's right. Where is he I wonder?" thought Kagome as she made her way towards the classroom exit with her friends.
"I don't know?" answered Kagome, trying to make sense of all this. She doesn't even remember coming back here to her time.
Kagome and her friends made their way through crowds on the sidewalk. Kagome was still in deep thought about everything that is going on, while her friends talk among themselves. Kagome looked up from the ground and saw familiar figures ahead of her.
Kagome realized that it was her other friends (Serena, Ami, Rei, Lita, and Mina). Kagome said goodbye to Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi and made her way towards the other group.
"Serena, guys." Yelled Kagome, as she approached the girls. As she approached closer to them, flashed of images appeared among them revealing their clothes changing back and forth, from their school uniforms to what seem to appear to Kagome as warrior outfits. Kagome stopped in her tracks, shocked by what she saw. Serena and the rest of the gang ran towards Kagome.
"Kagome, are you alright?" asked Serena.
"Umm, yeah. I think so." Answered Kagome, as she shook her head.
"Are you sure. You like you are confused." Asked Lita.
"Yeah. I thought I saw something, but I guess it was nothing." Responded Kagome, trying not to worry her friends.
As Kagome and her friends talked among themselves, they heard another voice calling out to them. It was Akane and her fiancé Ranma, walking towards them.
As Akane and Ranma approached them, some more flashes of images appeared in front of Kagome. It was Ranma changing appearance back and forth as well. These images were weirder than what she saw from Serena's group. Ranma was changing from male to female form.
Kagome nearly collapse from these weird flashing images. She didn't know what to make out of this. Is she dreaming or is she going crazy.
"Kagome, are you alright?" asked Akane.
"Yeah. I'm sorry guys, but I need to get home. I guess I am experiencing one of those weird diseases again." Truthfully, she just wanted to get home and avoid any further questions from her friends.
As Kagome finally reached her home, she notices her family shrine looked different. As she approached closer to the front door of her home, in the corner of her eye, she noticed the door to the shrine that contained the Bone Eater's Well was wide open. As she made her way towards the entrance, she froze when she noticed a thin female figure standing at the well, looking down.
"Excuse me, but you are own private property." Stated Kagome.
"How can it be private property, when this property belongs to me?" Stated the female figure, as she turned around, revealing her face to Kagome.
Kagome stared at the female figure in confusion. The person, who stood before her, showed a strong resemblance of her but appeared to be in her early twenties. "What do you mean this property belongs to you? It belongs to the Higurashi family, which has for many years."
"And it still does and many more years down the road." Stated the female figure as she gently placed her hand on her stomach and looked down at it. (Hint)
Kagome was more confused than ever. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"Don't you recognize me?" asked the female figure as she approached Kagome.
"Should I?" questioned Kagome.
"I am you." Responded the female figure.
Kagome nearly lost her balance. "How can you be me? I am me and you are older than I am." Yelled Kagome.
"I am from the future and I came here to give you a message." Stated future Kagome.
"But how are you here? Did I stumble into the future? But wait I was just with my friends and how can this……..my head hurts." Stated present Kagome, as she placed her hand unto her forehead.
"Be careful. You wouldn't want to add another illness upon the other disease grandpa made up while we were traveling back and forth to the federal era." Laughed future Kagome.
Now Kagome knew that this person, her future self, was telling the truth because only she would know about her travels, besides her family and the weird diseases her grandfather made up.
"So why are you here? Oh, wait! How are mom, grandpa, Sota, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo? Am I still traveling in the federal era? Did we defeat Naraku? And…" However, Kagome was silenced by future Kagome placing her finger on present Kagome's mouth.
"Time will tell and all of your questions will be answered in due time. However you must hurry and return back." Stated future Kagome.
"Return back? What do you mean?" asked present Kagome.
"InuYasha and your friends need your help. Your soul needs to return back into your body." Answered future Kagome.
"My soul? Wait…" Kagome remember she sacrifice herself to protect InuYasha from Yukio's blast. "Wait a minute. Does that mean I am dead?"
"No, not yet, unless you hurry, or there will be no future for us and others." Answered future Kagome, as she once again placed her hand upon her stomach.
"But how do I do that?" asked Kagome.
"Just concentrate on returning to InuYasha and your friends and your spiritual energy will do the rest." Answered future Kagome.
"Kagome, honey. You should come back in. You need your rest." Yelled a familiar male voice from the Higurashi's home.
Kagome turned around in shock. "I know that voice. Is it…?" Stated Kagome, as she started to run towards her home, until she was stop by future Kagome grabbing her wrist.
"You have to go back now, before it's too late." stated future Kagome.
"I can't. I have to know who that person was that called us." Yelled present Kagome as she struggled to free her wrist from future Kagome's hand.
"You can't. You have to go now." Yelled Kagome as she pulled present Kagome and placed her back upon the Bone Eater's Well. "You and only you can save InuYasha and our friends from danger. NOW GO!" yelled future Kagome as she pushed present Kagome into the Bone's Eater Well.
----Meanwhile, back at the castle----
InuYasha was still fighting Yukio. He tried his Wind Scar many times, but failed. He knew the only way to defeat him was to use the Backlash Wave.
"InuYasha, let us help you." Yelled Serena.
"No. I told you. This is my fight, so stay out of this." Yelled InuYasha.
"Stupid half demon. You have no chance of defeating me. NOW DIE!" yelled Yukio as he used his most powerful energy blast towards InuYasha.
"Yeah, that's it. I will use my Backlash Wave and direct your attack straight back at you." Thought InuYasha as he prepared his attack.
Yukio's attack came full blast towards InuYasha. "BACKLASH WAVE!" yelled InuYasha as he send the attack back entwined in a twister.
"WHAT!" yelled Yukio as he witnessed InuYasha's attack and his power being used against him.
"This is your end bastard." Yelled InuYasha.
Yukio's own attack almost hit him, but he was saved by a force field, created by his other six brothers.
"WHAT!" yelled InuYasha.
"Thanks brothers." Stated Yukio.
"Did you think we would let that half demon destroy you?" stated Ronin.
InuYasha and the rest of the gang stood in silent, fearing that their chances of defeating Yukio and his brothers were lost.
"Now brothers. Let's teach these trouble makers a lesson." Yelled Yukio.
"Right!" yelled all of Yukio's brothers.
"Meet your end." Yelled Yukio, as him and his brothers combined all of their powers to create a large energy blast to destroy InuYasha and the rest of the group.
InuYasha, the Sailor Scouts, Akane, Ranma, and Darien closed their eyes in fear, knowing their lives will be taken away, until everything went silent.
InuYasha and the rest of the group opened their eyes, witnessing a force field surrounding them.
"What! Where the hell did you come from?" yelled Yukio.
InuYasha and the rest of the group looked up. They saw Kagome floating in mid air, using her spiritual energy, protecting them with a force field she created.
"Kagome?" yelled InuYasha. "But wait?" InuYasha's eyes shot wide open as he notices that Kagome was transparent. He looked over his shoulder and notice that Kagome's body has not moved from the floor. InuYasha turned his gazed back to the transparent Kagome. "How can this be?"
The rest of Kagome's friends froze in shock as they kept turning their gazes back and forth from her body on the floor and seeing her floating in front of them.
"You will not harm my friends. I am the only who can destroy you and I will." Yelled Kagome.