If you're re-reading this chapter, it has been lightly edited from what I originally posted. it was super info-dumpy so I fixed it. Everything that was cut is somewhere in later chapters so you're not missing anything. If you're reading for the first time, don't worry about it and enjoy! This story updates weekly, on Sundays.
Kagome Higurashi sat staring at the small photo album laying open in her lap. She was seated on a small wooden bench under the large sacred tree at the edge of her family's shrine. The autumn sun shone through the branches and remaining leaves, speckling the area with sunlight.
Kagome ran her fingers over the pictures, stopping over one of her father and grandfather standing together near where she currently sat. She could see her mother in the background of the picture, her belly rounded with pregnancy, ready to bring Kagome into the world at any moment. Two tears fell, obscuring the faces of the men who were no longer with them.
"Kagome."
She looked up at the sound of her mother's voice. Mayumi Higurashi joined her daughter on the bench and leaned over to glance at the photo album. She pointed to the picture Kagome had her fingers on. "Mm, I remember that day. Your father wouldn't let me out of his sight that late into my pregnancy. I had to bribe someone visiting the shrine to take that picture so I could sneak off for some time to myself." Her mother smiled and got a far-off look in her eyes. Ten years and she still got that look when she talked about her late husband.
Kagome leaned over and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "I miss them, Mama. Last week still doesn't feel real, like a bad dream that I just want to wake up from."
One week ago her grandfather lost his balance walking down the shrine steps. Kagome heard his shout but by the time she got to him he was already lying at the bottom, badly injured. The ambulance arrived quickly but his injuries were extensive and he passed away before they made it to the hospital. Their little family was devastated.
Her mother wrapped an arm around Kagome's shoulder in comfort. "Are you still up for helping me sort through some of his things? We don't have to if it's going to be too much."
"It's alright Mama, I'll be fine." Kagome turned her body and gave her mother a tight hug, her mother returning the gesture. "It's just a lot right now."
"I know dear," her mother comforted, "but we'll get through it. And you know I'll help you any way I can."
With her grandfather's passing, Kagome was set to take over most of the duties and running of the shrine. She didn't have any spiritual powers but she'd gone to school and been trained by her grandfather to keep track of the finances, give tours, and maintain the shrine grounds.
"We should probably get inside and get started on those boxes," Kagome said, pulling away from her mother.
Her mother nodded and wiped away a stray tear. Both women stood and made their way towards the house at the back of the shrine.
"Is Sota home yet?" Kagome asked as they passed through the genkan.
Her mother shook her head. "No, he's staying the night with Kohaku. He needs to be around friends right now."
Kohaku was Sota's best friend. Kohaku's older sister, Sango, was Kagome's best friend and had been for almost their entire lives. Their families were close and they'd always supported each other during tough times.
At the end of the first-floor hallway, they turned right into a spare room where they had boxes stacked waiting to be sorted through. The room was large and had dividers that could be moved to turn the back half into a guest bedroom. There was a table and two chairs for the women to sit in while they went through all the boxes.
Kagome grabbed a box and joined her mother at the table. The boxes weren't labeled so pretty much anything could be inside. Her grandfather had been quite the packrat, hoarding anything that could hold any kind of history; which for her grandfather was almost everything. She opened the flaps and peered inside.
"How old is some of this stuff?" Kagome sighed. She reached in to grab what looked like a miniature replica of a torii gate and pulled it out. "Why would he ever need to hold on to something likes this?"
Her mother smiled and pulled out a miniature replica of a shakujo, the tiny rings jingling lightly. "These used to be very popular with shrine visitors. Now that spiritual power is almost non-existent, everybody wants charms and wards before there isn't anyone left to make them."
Kagome sighed thinking about her own lack of spiritual power. She should have been born with at least a little reiki since her father and grandfather both had power. Her grandmother was also supposed to have been a powerful miko but she died long before Kagome was born. There wasn't anything she could do about it though so she turned her attention back to the box.
She went to reach for another miniature something-or-other but something else caught her eye. A small journal was partially buried in amongst the junk, looking out of place in all the clutter. She grabbed the corner of the small book and wiggled it free then placed it on the table and opened it to the first page.
"What's that?" her mother asked.
"I'm not sure." Kagome started reading and was surprised to find what looked like a shopping list written in her grandfather's neat script. Kagome scanned the items on the list and her brows furrowed in confusion. It looked like everything you would need if you were moving into your first apartment. He had everything from furniture to clothes to food listed, sorted by where he could purchase said items. He even had a cell phone, laptop, television, several books, and, of all things, workout equipment on the list.
She glanced at the date at the top of the page and was shocked to see he'd made the list only a year ago. What was going on? Had he actually purchased all this and, if he had, where was it all?
She slid the book to her mother who looked over the list and got the same look of confusion as Kagome. "I don't remember him ever buying anything like this. And what would he need most of this for anyway?" She flipped to the next page and gasped.
Kagome could see several receipts folded between the pages. She watched her mother's face as she unfolded and read the receipts and could tell by her expression that her grandfather had indeed purchased the things on his list. She was more intrigued than ever.
"Where did he get the money?" her mother asked. "We're pretty well-off financially but this is so much."
While her mother looked over the receipts Kagome took the book back and started scanning more pages. There were more shopping lists and receipts but they were mostly for regular groceries. About halfway through her grandfather started taking notes.
'He is not adjusting well. I know it's only been a month but he has rejected every attempt at conversation and most of the food I buy gets thrown out, untouched. I'm not worried about the cost of the food -his mother made sure he was well taken care of- but I am worried about his health. How long can someone like him go without food? I must remain patient though. He has been through enough for one lifetime.'
"Someone like him?" Kagome mused under her breath.
'He broke the cell phone already. I don't know how to use those confounded things anyway so I won't replace it. He hasn't touched the newspapers, I think he's afraid of what he'll find. He'll have to face the present eventually but I won't rush him. The television seems to be getting plenty of use though.'
She flipped a little further and found a more recent entry:
'I didn't know his father for very long but I got to know him well in our short time as friends. The boy reminds me very much of his father. Stubborn but resilient, hard but kind, and the hair...lucky bastards. Maybe soon he can...well, we will worry about that later.'
Kagome looked up at her mother to find her reading the entries upside down. It was a neat trick of hers that always gave Kagome a headache. "Who do you think 'he' is?"
Her mother frowned and looked up at Kagome. "I honestly have no idea. He didn't spend any time away from the shrine for him to visit anyone though. And he was so busy teaching you over the last few years I just...I don't know."
Kagome closed the journal and placed her hand over the cover. "I'll read the whole thing later, maybe I can find some answers. We should get some of these boxes sorted first though. We may even find something else related to this buried in here somewhere." She gestured around at the rest of the boxes.
Her mother agreed and they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening sorting and organizing, crying and laughing at all their discoveries. It seemed like almost everything had some story connected to it and Kagome listened to her mother eagerly. They got through all but a few boxes, only stopping to make a small dinner for the two of them. Kagome found two more journals and set them aside to read later.
While they were sorting they made three piles: keep, donate, and throw away. When they were done they started putting everything from the 'donate' pile back into boxes so they could be picked up later. Kagome ran to grab a roll of trash bags from the kitchen and they started bagging everything from the 'throw-away' pile. They had three full trash bags when they were finished along with the four boxes of donations. They left the keep pile where it was so they could better organize it in the morning.
"We made a lot of progress. We'll definitely finish the rest of the boxes tomorrow," Kagome said. "I'm going to head up to bed now so I can read a little before I fall asleep." She stretched and let out a small yawn.
"Alright dear, thank you for helping." Mayumi pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'm glad I didn't have to do that alone."
Kagome hugged her mother back, blinking away a few tears. They pulled apart and Kagome picked up the three journals to take with her. "Goodnight Mama."
"Goodnight Kagome."
Once up in her bedroom, Kagome changed into some pajamas and settled at her desk to glance through the journals. She checked the dates in all three and discovered the one they found first was the oldest. She decided to check the newest one next and started flipping through the pages.
'I think he's trying to use the laptop but he won't touch it when I'm around. It was plugged in the last time I visited though so that has to mean something. Maybe I should let Kagome meet him so someone can show him how the stupid thing works.'
"Maybe you should have," Kagome grumbled, "then this wouldn't be so confusing."
'I need to fix the entrance. I can't stand all the damn splinters anymore! The boy was in a foul mood today and I didn't see the laptop anywhere. I hope it didn't meet the same fate as the phone. '
She skipped to one of the last entries and was shocked to see it dated only a few days before her grandfather fell.
'He's made a lot of progress this year. We'll need to bring him out into the world soon but I worry about what will happen. He's very private and he still won't tell me what happened that day. They wouldn't still be looking for him after this long, would they? Perhaps a kitsune concealment charm is in order. I think I'll take Kagome to see him soon. She'll be the one to take over for me eventually anyway.'
Kagome closed the journal and felt the tears burning her eyes. She realized she was reading one of the last things her grandfather ever wrote and the emotions were overwhelming. The journals were a window into a life they didn't know her grandfather was living, a secret he probably didn't mean to take to his grave.
She let herself cry for a few minutes before crawling into bed. The rest of the journals could wait until morning, she was exhausted. It didn't take long for sleep to claim her.
The next morning Kagome woke up early to investigate the journals. Sitting at her desk again, she opened the second journal and read a few entries.
'He asked about the shrine barrier today. It is normally a closely guarded secret but given his predicament I decided to tell him how ours works. The knowledge seemed to put him at ease.'
'I walked in on him watching a documentary about wolves and growling. Maybe it's a dog thing? He wouldn't explain and he got very defensive when I asked about it.'
'There was an incident today. I made a comment about a gift Kagome got for her mother and he just shut down. One second he was fine and the next he was curled up on his bed, completely unresponsive. I tried to wait for it to pass but he was still lying there an hour later so I left. I'll check on him tonight.'
'He was fine when I went back. He wouldn't talk about what happened but that's not surprising. I wonder if it happens a lot when he's aloneā¦'
"Poor guy, I hope he's alright," Kagome murmured. She closed the journal and headed downstairs. By the time her mother was out of bed, Kagome was showered, dressed, and had made breakfast for the two of them.
"You're up early today," her mother greeted as she entered the kitchen. "Breakfast smells wonderful. Omelets?"
"Morning Mama. And yes, you know they're my specialty." She smiled and set the two omelets on the table with their rice and miso. While they ate, she told her mother about everything she'd read in the journals. "I'm worried about whoever he was visiting. I think maybe I should try to find him, just in case."
"Are you sure that's what you want to do? You can't be sure this person even wants to be found. He sounds unstable, what if he's dangerous?"
"I'm sure if he were dangerous grandpa wouldn't have been thinking about letting me meet him," Kagome argued. "I'll be careful but I really think I need to do this. What if whoever it is doesn't have any access to food or fresh air or, well, anything?"
"Alright then, if you're sure. Did you say something about splinters?" Mayumi asked.
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, he kept getting splinters from the entrance to...wherever."
Her mother tilted her head and looked lost in thought for a moment. She clapped her hands suddenly and said, "I think I know where to look. You should check the old well house, he was always complaining about the old wood giving him splinters."
"There's nothing in there except the old, dried-up well though," Kagome sighed and got up to clear the table. "I guess we could check it out though, it won't take long."
Mayumi checked her watch and shook her head. "I've got to get ready to pick up Sota. Did you want to wait for me to get back? We don't know what, or who, you might find in there."
"No, I'll check it out myself. I don't really expect to find anything anyway," Kagome assured her mother.
"Alright, well, be careful anyway." Her mother gave her a quick hug and left the kitchen to get ready for her day.
Kagome finished cleaning up and made her way outside. The old well house was at the edge of the shrine bordering a small wooded area. The legend of the well was one of her grandfather's favorite stories. It involved time travel, mystical jewels, miko, and evil yokai intent on conquering all of Japan. It was all rather silly to Kagome.
Of course, miko and yokai were real but they'd mostly gotten along for over a century now, ever since the signing of the Unity Accords. They lived in a world where humans, yokai, and hanyo all existed peacefully. While people with spiritual powers and full-blooded yokai were becoming rarer, hanyo had become extremely common.
Arriving at her destination, she slid the door to the well house open and stepped inside, reaching blindly and finding the lightswitch. The inside of the building was dim, the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling barely giving off any light. There was a raised wooden platform with a railing that went all the way around the inside wall so you could see the well without going down to the dirt floor. A small set of wooden steps right inside the door led down so you could get a closer look.
Kagome pulled out a small flashlight she'd brought with her and shined the bright beam around, looking for anything out of place. A quick walk around the top platform didn't reveal anything so she made her way down to the well. She shined the flashlight in the area under the walkway and found nothing but dirt and spiderwebs. The well was the only place left to check so she set the flashlight down on the bottom step and turned to the old structure.
There was a wood covering for the well that could be easily moved in case someone needed access for any reason. She ran a finger through the layer of dust on the wood but it was thin, like it had been wiped off in the last few weeks. She gripped the two small handles on either side and lifted the cover, moving it to lean against the side of the well.
"Damn," she swore and examined her hand. "He wasn't kidding about the splinters." A small sliver of wood was stuck in her left ring finger, protruding a tiny bit from the skin. She used her nails to carefully pull out the small bit of wood and watched a tiny bead of blood form. Sighing, she pulled a tissue from her pocket and held it to the injury until the bleeding stopped then balled the tissue up and shoved it back in her jeans pocket.
She picked her flashlight back up and looked down into the well to see...nothing; it was just an old, dry well. "Don't know what I expected," she chastised herself. She moved the beam of the flashlight around and examined the old stone that lined the inside wall of the well. She walked in a circle, checking all four sides, and was ready to give up when something caught her eye.
Close to the top, right below the wood, one of the stones sparkled. It was on the side nearest the steps so she hadn't noticed it at first. Walking back around, Kagome began to get excited. Maybe she had found something after all. She leaned over the side, being careful not to fall in, and ran her hand over the stone. It felt warm to the touch and she swore she felt a small pulse of power when her skin made contact.
The air in the well seemed to shimmer and she blinked a few times at what she was seeing. The dirt floor of the well was replaced by what looked like a metal platform. She could hear the low hum of a motor and the grinding of gears beneath her somewhere and realized the platform was getting closer. She took a step back when the wood in front of her lowered and the platform drew even with the floor of the well house.
"What the hell? Grandpa, what were you hiding in here?" She gave the platform a wary look and walked another circle around the well, looking for anything else suspicious. She returned to the platform and tested its stability with one foot. It felt solid so she put a little more pressure on one side. When it didn't budge she quickly stepped on before she lost her nerve.
The platform jerked and started to descend and Kagome let out a little 'eep' of surprise. She dropped to her knees and watched the stone wall sliding past. She was met with another surprise when, towards the bottom, the stone turned to metal, forming the top of a door.
She was even more surprised when the platform settled and the door opened to reveal a long corridor. The passage looked like an old hotel hallway, complete with wallpaper straight out of the 1970s. Wall sconces shaped like small lamps cast a dim light on the wood ceiling and carpeted floor. It was the absolute last thing Kagome expected to find at the bottom of an old well.
"My entire life feels like a lie," she laughed uneasily. "How long has this been here?" She trailed her hand along the wallpaper, the odd swirl of brown, yellow, and orange that was almost painful to look at. She could see a door at the end of the hallway and started slowly towards it. Her heart was hammering in her chest and the hand holding the flashlight shook slightly. Whatever, or whoever, her grandfather was hiding, she was pretty sure she was about to find out.
Inuyasha woke with a start, jerking up in bed and breathing heavy. He knew the loud bang of the gunshot was just in his head, knew he was lying safely in bed, knew his father had been dead for almost 50 years now; that didn't stop the cold sweat that broke out on his skin and the hammering of his heart. This particular nightmare was familiar but it still took several minutes of deep breathing to bring himself back to reality.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran a hand over his face. At least the nightmares of his father's murder affected him less than the memories of his mother. He stood up from his western-style bed and headed for the bathroom. The little clock on his nightstand indicated it was 8:30 in the morning though time didn't mean much when you were stuck in a well-furnished prison.
It wasn't a literal prison of course. He could be nice and call it a hideout, but who stayed in a hideout for 40 something years, sealed or not? He even had his own personal prison guard to bring him food and keep him company. He had to admit though, the old man was growing on him, slowly and despite Inuyasha's best efforts to dislike him. Whatever he needed, old man Higurashi got it for him; he even made social calls to try and keep him company. But there was a problem.
He'd gone a little over a week with no word from the old man and he was starting to worry. For the last year, he'd had one to two visits every week. Sometimes Higurashi dropped off supplies, sometimes he just came down to talk and help stave off the loneliness. If he was going to be away longer than a week he always let Inuyasha know ahead of time and made sure he had extra supplies just in case. Something felt wrong though, out of place, and Inuyasha couldn't put his finger on what it was.
He went through his morning routine, which basically only consisted of relieving himself, showering if he stunk, and putting clothes on before making himself breakfast. He spent most of his time in gray or black sweatpants and a red t-shirt with his hair tied up on the back of his head; why dress up when nobody ever saw him? He'd learned to cook over the last year since he didn't have much else to do and preparing his meals made the long hours feel just a little shorter. He debated turning the tv on to give himself some background noise but decided against it.
He was finishing up the preparing breakfast part of his routine when he heard the grind of the platform gears that always announced the old man's arrival. He walked over to the door intending to open it and give Higurashi a hard time but stopped with his hand on the doorknob. A feminine voice drifted down the hallway and a new scent invaded his nose.
He couldn't make out what she was saying but he took a deep breath and almost groaned at how amazing his new visitor smelled, sweet and earthy, like a field of flowers, with a hint of spice. He caught himself and shook his head to stop that line of thought. He only caught the one scent which meant the old man wasn't with the visitor.
Nobody was supposed to know he was here except the old man. He could be in some serious trouble.
He moved to stand against the wall so he would be behind the door when it opened. He tensed his muscles and cracked his knuckles, his claws ready to strike. His ears turned towards the door to catch every sound he could from the hallway. Whoever was coming through the door was in for an unpleasant surprise.
