And another chapter. I have a feeling you'll like this one… and hate it at the same time *sigh*
On another note… Holy cow! 400 reviews?! You guys… *dries a few emotional tears* You're really too kind. Thank you all so much! I really appreciate it :D Let's see when we can hit 450, ne ;)
Happy reading and thank again!
ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS:
blackreader27: Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed. For your questions, yes, Sango will be in this fic eventually. Patience. As for the other one, read on and you'll find out… though I'm surprised you're even asking…
Inulover: Thank you.
InuGome! Yeah, you're right, everyone thought so :3 Well, hope you enjoy the chapter :]
CatchySayo: You mean the moment when Kagome chewed him out? Yeah, many people thought that was long overdue LOL But what can I say, Kagome's juts as patient as a saint when it comes to Inuyasha, ne :3 Hope you enjoy this one, too :3
Misty Blue: Well, if the differences weren't visible at one point or another, I'd be seriously worried about my writing skills :) As for patience… well, I hope you have a lot of reserves of that. You'll need it from now on, I'm afraid.
Random: Yeah, well, she was clear enough as far as her own mind is concerned. But you're right, she wasn't anywhere clear enough for Inuyasha. But no worries, the misunderstanding will soon be resolved… I think ;)
happyface2107: No harm done, I'm just glad you enjoyed :3 Happy reading :]
Tracks for this chapter :
Yui Makino:Tsuki no Shijima
The Tourist OST: Bedroom Dreams
Breakers:
XxX: change of scene
~ξ~: time-skip
乗: Beginning/Change/End of Flashback
Ю: Beginning/End of a story told by one of the character (the parts in bold between the stars are what the present them are saying as a small narrative)
Ж: Change of POV (mostly used within a story told by several characters)
[T] and [/T]: Beginning/End of soundtrack
Reminder: 'Inuyasha' written normally refers to Inuyasha, while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) refers to Kagome, the "Gentle Dog Demon". 'Hanyō' written normally means "half-demon", while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) it means "half-breed".
Chapter 27 – The Shikon's Call
Miroku had been right, he had been able to help, though how he had managed to get their means of transportation to them so quickly was beyond Inuyasha. It was almost as if the raccoon dog demon Miroku had asked for help had been following them all along and had only waited for the perfect opportunity to show himself. That wasn't very likely though, Kagome would have noticed him in that case.
At any rate, the important thing was that they were already on their way towards Kaede's village, and by the looks of it, it wouldn't take very long to arrive there. They were riding on a gigantic, yellow, cloud-like, yet solid thing the tankuki had transformed into to fly them to the village, and while he didn't seem to be moving very quickly, it was still much faster than if they had traveled on the ground. Air-roads were always much quicker, though, that was why in Inuyasha's time, people already made sure they could travel that way.
He had honestly never expected to see a demon-equivalent of a plane in this time-period. But right now was not the time to marvel how his time wasn't exactly as ahead of this one as many people thought.
Sighing inwardly, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes in an almost-glare, although if anyone were to look into his eyes up close, they would see the teen wasn't nearly as angry as he tried to make everyone believe he was. If anything, he seemed concerned.
And he had every right to be.
At the very end of the cloud-like thing, extremely near what one could consider its tail, lay Kagome. She had her head propped up on her arms as she rested on her stomach, her long, silver hair tucked carefully beneath her, as she didn't want it to be soiled with her blood from the still-open and still-bleeding wound in her back. She hadn't moved ever since they started their flight. When the tanuki arrived and transformed, she had hopped onto him on her own, lied down near his tail and showed the whole group clearly that no one was to disturb her for the duration of the flight – especially not Inuyasha.
The simple fact that she wanted to go to Kaede's because of her injury was worrying enough. That she didn't even attempt to move around, like she normally would to prove it wasn't as bad as Inuyasha thought it was, made him worry even more. She had always brushed off his concern, reminding him time and time again that she was not human and that what would be a rather serious injury for him was in actuality merely a scratch for her. But not this time. So it had to be worse than any other time. Inuyasha's glare hardened as he stared at her somewhat angrily in a poor attempt to hide his real feelings.
If her wound was so serious she needed to go back to Kaede's and had to lie down and rest while they got there, why wouldn't she at least let him provide her with some first aid treatment? It would have been better than just leaving her to slowly bleed out, which would happen without any doubt if the journey took too long.
At that thought, Inuyasha shook his head to clear his mind. He couldn't think like that. Kagome was stronger than that. Yeah, her wound might be kind of serious, but if it was life-threatening, she wouldn't be acting like it was no big deal, after all.
Unbeknownst to Inuyasha, Kagome had other reasons for wanting to go back, her injury being the last of them. The thing that had made her decide on the whim that they needed to return had in fact nothing to do with her injury, or at least not directly.
The young hanyō-girl frowned as she stared of into the sky surrounding them as they flew, though she didn't really register it, her mind focused on a much more pressing matter. The voice she had heard during the battle. The voice that was whispering into her ear, albeit in an almost incomprehensible manner, whenever she was too close to the future-born kannushi and even now. 'I know that voice. I've heard it before. It spells trouble,' she thought angrily. 'What I don't get is… why didn't I hear it before? Why now? It doesn't make sense!'
She huffed under her breath, her fingers itching to clench into tight fists, but she restrained herself. It wouldn't do to accidentally harm her ride with her claws when they dragged across his skin. Her frown deepened and she shook her head mentally. 'It doesn't matter right now. Far more pressing is finding a way to make it shut up,' she reasoned, her anger calming somewhat to be replaced by worry. Of course, she recognized that voice now, she knew exactly where she had heard it before, but she had never bothered to find out what had been done to make it shut up. She regretted it now. Thinking back on it, she should have asked. 'How had you made the Jewel stop calling out to me, Kikyo?' the young half-demon wondered, her mind wandering back to that night when she had heard the voice for the first time.
乗
"Kagome-nee-san! Kagome-nee-san!" the voice of a very young, female child sounded in the woods from the direction of the village. The half-demon girl in question didn't respond, other than her ears twitching on top of her head to acknowledge the sound. She knew who it was, but at the moment, she had no desire to talk to anyone, especially not to Kikyo's younger sister. The girl would certainly try to persuade to return to the village, or at least come and visit like she did before.
Actually, she had already pondered leaving the village. She obviously wasn't wanted there, not that that was anything new. The miko had recovered several weeks ago already and she was more than capable of protecting the thing she swore to protect. So Kagome wasn't needed here, nor was she wanted. She didn't belong there. She should leave. And yet she couldn't. Part of her just didn't want to leave, and she didn't like it. She had never been attached to a place before and rarely did she allow other people into her heart, because doing both was asking to be hurt. Yet there was something about this place that was drawing her in.
[T]
She supposed it were the two sisters, the two miko siblings that lived here. The younger one barely knowing her, yet already trusting her like only children could because they looked with their eyes instead of through a veil of believes without proof if presented with the proof to the contrary of what they've been taught. Kaede was the first to warm up to her and despite herself, Kagome couldn't help but do the same with the young child. Kaede reminded her of herself when she was much younger, when life was still simple, or as simple as it got for her. Kaede even went as far as calling her a sister, though Kagome thought that was taking it a bit far. Still, hearing the form of address from the young girl's lips always did something funny to her insides, though she never dwelled on it. Yes, the young, cheerful, innocent Kaede was definitely one of the reasons she didn't want to leave right away. The child didn't exactly need protection, she already had people ensuring her safety – people who were definitely capable of it, not that the young girl thought she couldn't take care of some smaller problems by herself. She was a miko after all, young as she was. But Kagome couldn't help but feel like she needed to protect her anyway, to protect her smile.
Then there was the older sister, Kikyo. Though not adult yet, she was very mature for her thirteen years of life, not that it was unexpected or anything. As far as Kagome knew, she was the one taking care of Kaede, which had to mean their parents had passed some time ago. And as if that wasn't enough, she had been entrusted with something called the Shikon no Tama. Kagome didn't really know what this thing was, but she knew it attracted a lot of yōkai and was a very powerful artifact that needed to be protected specifically by a powerful miko, kannushi or monk. Only later would she learn just how powerful that one little gemstone was and exactly how much suffering it could bring upon a person. But as of yet, she hardly knew anything of it. She only knew it was powerful and needed to be kept safe, so that neither demons nor black hearted humans got their filthy hands on it. From what she had seen the last few weeks, protecting that thing wasn't something that would exactly be easy, either.
But Kikyo had been guarding the Jewel for at least a year now, maybe a little less, so she knew what she was doing and what she needed to do. She was strong and knew how to use her strength, too. She could look after herself, after her sister, after the village and after the Shikon just fine, she had done it without problems for the past year. Well, mostly, anyway.
Still, the responsibility resting on her shoulders had left a mark on her, unless she had always been like she was now. Kagome doubted it, though. It was, however, Kikyo's current situation that drew the half-demon in.
Kikyo was as much of a loner as her, though for other reasons. She was also a protector, just like Kagome, and she was a fighter. When presented with an obstacle, no matter what it was, she overcame it and managed not to be defiled with bitterness and hatred despite almost nothing but that surrounding her. Just like Kagome.
They were very alike, the miko and the hanyō. That was part of the reason she couldn't bring herself to leave yet. Part of her was just drawn to that village, to that miko and for the life of her, she just couldn't force herself to leave now. She had found a kindred spirit, and although they weren't friends, they were civil enough to talk with each other. In Kagome's case, it was because she was truly intrigued with the young miko. In Kikyo's case, Kagome suspected she was merely humoring her younger and, in her eyes, blinded sister who had for some reason developed a fetish for a 'filthy half-breed'. But the miko tolerated her for the most part.
That didn't mean she trusted the hanyō, though, and Kagome sometimes found herself wishing it were otherwise. She never allowed such thoughts to prevail, however.
If anyone told her that in a few years time, Kikyo and her would be as close with each other as actual sisters, she would have laughed at the ludicrous idea.
"Kagome-see-san! Where did you go? Kagome-nee-san!" Kaede's voice reached her ears again, a bit closer this time, although still a fair distance away. Kagome sighed and glanced in the direction she knew the young girl was out of the corner of her eye. The young half-demon had ventured quite deeply into the forest to get away from the village. She was too far from it for it to be safe for Kaede. The kid had already ventured in too deep for her own good, not to mention for Kagome's liking.
Sighing, Kagome stretched before she jumped onto the ground and landed soundlessly. Without another thought, she ran in the direction Kaede's voice came from. It was better to go meet her than have the kid venture even deeper into the forest, asking to get lost or better even, be devoured by a yōkai.
"Kagome-nee-san!" Kaede called again as she looked around, her call making Kagome's ears flatten against her head from the volume.
"Continue yelling like that and you can be sure you'll become someone's dinner, kid," Kagome grumbled as her ears slowly rose to their regular position. Kaede turned around abruptly at the sound of the hanyō's voice, a scent of fear coming off of her for a fraction of a second before she realized who it was that talked. Then she smiled.
"No, I wouldn't. I'm Kikyo-onee-sama's sister, I am also strong. I would purify whoever tried to eat me, or you would come and save me, Kagome-nee-san," she replied with conviction that almost made Kagome gape in disbelief. She snorted instead, trying to hide her surprise by faked annoyance.
"You certainly sound sure of yourself," she commented dryly as she nodded her head in the direction of the village. Kaede only smiled as she walked next to the half-demon back the way she had come. "What makes you so certain I'd come and help you, kid?" she couldn't help but ask, even though it was evident she would. A protector was what she was, after all, and it was what she always did ever since she became strong enough to. She protected others. But those she protected never just accepted the fact that she wanted to help, because of her mixed blood, so Kaede's conviction she'd come and help out baffled her.
"Because you always do," the little girl, no older than five at the time, replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She skipped next to the hanyō, her long, thick, black hair tied in a braid bouncing against her back because of it. "Whenever there's any kind of trouble, you come and help us out. You even saved Kikyo-onee-sama once, though you could have just left her to die. You didn't. You even protected us in her stead while she recovered, and even now that she is long since healthy, you still stay around to help. That's what makes me think we can always count on your help, Kagome-nee-san."
The young half-demon barely stopped herself from gawking at the little miko-to-be, too stunned to say anything in response for a while. She somehow managed to keep a calm façade, though, and only observed Kikyo's little sister out of the corner of her eye. Kaede hadn't said anything wrong or incorrect. In fact, she hadn't said anything the half-demon could disagree with. That was what was so surprising, however. 'I wish more people thought clearly like you do, Kaede,' Kagome thought fondly, allowing herself for the first time to call the kid by her first name, if only in her thoughts. She quickly squashed the idea, however, knowing that such wishes and hopes would only bring her more pain in the end, and she wasn't about to let that happen.
She was what she was and she was proud of it. If anyone else failed to see the truth about her then good riddance. She didn't need anyone. The few people who knew her were enough to keep her afloat in that sea of hatred surrounding her, and even once they left – because she was sure they eventually would, she would simply outlive them – the memory of them and what each of them taught her would be enough. So long as she was proud of who she was, the opinion of others didn't matter. And she was proud of who she was.
"Why did you come out here, anyway, kid?" the young hanyō asked after a moment of silence. She was in no way prepared for Kaede's answer, however.
"Because I was worried about you, Kagome-nee-san."
The Inuyasha, although she did not hold the title yet at the time, actually almost tripped at the words the young miko-to-be spoke. 'Worried? What the Hell? Who do you take me for?' she thought almost angrily as she glared at the child beside. However, the glare was quick to wither when hers and Kaede's eyes met for the briefest of moments before the young girl looked away again. Kagome's eyes widened again when she could neither smell nor hear the telltale signs of a lie. Kaede was telling the strict truth.
"Worried?" the young half-demon asked in well-masked bewilderment, her voice sounding nonchalant, as if the little child was acting stupid. Kaede didn't seem to like that fact, though.
"Yes, worried," she replied in a voice Kagome had never heard from her before. It wasn't exactly angry or anything, but the young half-demon still felt as if the kid was trying to berate her. Raising one eyebrow in challenge, daring the kid to continue, she remained silent, waiting. Kaede rose to her silent challenge, although her posture had slumped and her voice got a definite worried under-tone to it.
"After that last demon attack… you left so suddenly," she said quietly. "You never did before. You always stayed a little longer to assess the damage, to help transporting the wounded," 'If they let me touch them,' Kagome commented sourly in her thoughts, but remained silent. "You never left like that before. And I saw Kikyo-onee-sama's arrow fly in your direction shortly before…" Kaede broke off then and stared at her feet as she walked. "I was worried that maybe her arrow had struck the wrong target and that was why you left. I was worried you were hurt… I was worried… you'd leave," the little child said quietly, once again surprising the hanyō beside her, not that she let it show. 'Worried I'd leave? You mean you actually want me to stick around?' Kagome couldn't help but think, yet she didn't dare to voice these questions. 'That's gotta be the first time anyone's even implied he wants me to stay around, family aside… and even some of my own blood want me dead,' she added in her inner monologue, her thoughts travelling briefly to her half-brother, Sesshōmaru.
"You need more than one lousy arrow to scare me off," Kagome replied somewhat arrogantly, trying to reassure the little girl beside her in a way, even though she knew Kikyo's arrows were anything but lousy. One hit from one of those and she was as near to death as hanyō got when struck with a holy arrow. And should Kikyo hit a vital spot, then she was dead human meat, plain and simple. "That wasn't the reason I ran."
No, she had left in a hurry for a completely different reason, although Kikyo's arrow nearly striking her had a little bit to do with it. It had actually brushed against her, the aura flaring around it having left a burn-mark on the side of her neck which had yet to fade – wounds dealt by spiritualists always took longer to heal. But Kagome was glad it had happened, for it had woken her up.
She had heard a voice during the battle, loud and clear in her head. It was so loud it had actually given her a headache – she had almost felt her eyes pulse with the irritating ache, not to mention the rest of her skull. And it was tempting her to take something. It offered her power. Thinking back on its words, Kagome wanted to snort. As if she'd ever take something simply for the power it could give her. She wasn't shallow like that. Power and strength were meaningless unless you required them on your own. If you tried to get stronger through an object of power, no matter what it was, you'd merely end up dependent on it and you would die the second you didn't have it anymore. Kagome wasn't interested in such strength.
And yet when she heard that voice, for some reason, she had been tempted to listen. It was like the voice was controlling her, making her do things she didn't want to do.
The second Kikyo's arrow whizzed past her, her mind had cleared and the voice disappeared for all of a second. Then it returned full force and if Kagome hadn't known any better, she would have said it was Kikyo talking, because as far as her ears were concerned, the place where the miko stood was where the voice originated from. But when it did return, Kagome already understood why she couldn't control her body, she understood what was happening to an extent, so she had bolted.
Kikyo didn't know it, but that arrow had actually saved her life… and Kagome's as well.
"Then why did you. What happened, Kagome-nee-san?" Kaede asked in a small voice and Kagome stopped in her tracks, as she could already see the village not far from here. Kaede surely did, too, so it would be safe to let her go home from here. As far as Kagome was concerned, this was the closest she'd ever go to that village again, unless it was under attack. And even then she'd try to not get closer than strictly necessary. She could always destroy the yōkai from a distance with her Hijin Kessō, after all. It wasn't her style, but she'd have to swallow her pride in this case. Either that, or leave altogether.
"I was losing my mind," Kagome replied honestly, surprising even herself. She was quick to correct her statement, though. "Something tired to make me lose my mind."
"What do you mean, Kagome-nee-san?" Kaede asked, fear once again entering her scent, although something told Kagome it was not fear for herself. Her eyes narrowed, dismissing the observation. 'Hell will freeze over before I let you find out,' she promised herself resolutely. Out loud, she asked a question of her own.
"What does the Shikon need protection from?"
"From yōkai… and evil humans who would taint it. Why?" Kaede asked, knowing it was a question Kagome knew the answer to and also most likely baffled at the sudden change of topic. Kagome ignored her question, though.
"How do yōkai and ningen know where the Jewel is?"
"They… just do, I guess…" Kaede replied, her voice unsure. Kagome sighed.
"They feel its power," she supplied quietly, her gut just telling her it was true. It would make sense, too. Miko could sense demonic energy, but demons couldn't sense a miko's power. Demons had other senses to know when danger was close. Besides, whenever yōkai felt something, any kind of energy, it tended to attract them, not to tell them to run. So they wouldn't feel a power that could kill them, like that of a miko. When it comes to power that could make them stronger, however, it was a completely different story.
"They… feel its power?" Kaede parroted, making Kagome nod. The young girl blinked a few times before speaking again, her following question causing Kagome to groan softly. "How do you know?"
"What am I, kid?" she asked gently.
"Hanyō. But does it have to do with anything?"
"I'm two halves of two different wholes. Half-yōkai, half human. Half-yōkai. Think, kid, think," the young hanyō answered. The moment the words were out of her mouth, though, Kaede seemed to grasp what she was getting at.
"You felt its power," she stated and Kagome nodded. Kaede blinked a few times as if thinking something over, then snapped her fingers and took off in a run, yelling over her shoulder she had something to take care of and leaving Kagome to smirk at her behind. 'Looks like she came to the same conclusion. I guess that's to be expected, though, she isn't stupid and there really isn't another explanation that would make sense,' Kagome thought as she turned her back on the village and walked deeper into the forest, looking for a comfortable tree to stay in for the night.
[/T]
A couple of days later, Kaede came running excited into the forest, looking for her again. Again, Kagome had come out to meet her, as otherwise the little girl would run far too deep into the forest for anyone's liking. They were talking calmly like they usually did about little things. That was until Kikyo came looking for them. What surprised Kagome, however, was her bow with an arrow already notched and aimed straight at the half-demon.
"Get away from my sister, hanyō," she demanded coldly. Kagome didn't move from her spot, only turned in Kikyo's direction with a half-frown, half-snarl on her face.
"I have a name and you already know it. Use it, miko of the Shikon," Kagome bit back, studying the miko in front of her as she tried to figure out what was going on. Kikyo didn't like or trust her, that was nothing new, but something had to have happened to make her this hostile. "And tell me what this is about."
"You should know, hanyō," Kikyo bit back, grumbling under her breath softly: "I have a name, too."
It wasn't soft enough for Kagome not to hear and she smirked.
"Call me by my name then, and I'll call you by yours, miko of the Shikon," she said calmly. "Now tell me what this is about," she repeated. However, it wasn't Kikyo who answered, but Kaede.
"You didn't sense it, did you?" she asked excitedly as she stared at the half-demon in front of her. Kagome blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what the little kid meant.
"Sense what?" she asked apprehensively, taking a few steps away from the little girl as precaution. Smiling, Kaede reached below her kimono and took out a small necklace made from middle-sized, pink stones, with a small, pink gem hanging from it that Kagome recognized instantly, although she had only seen it a couple of times, mostly around Kikyo's neck.
"The Jewel of Four Souls," Kaede said unnecessarily. "Kikyo-onee-sama sealed it when she heard yōkai would sense it. You don't feel its power anymore, do you?" she asked gleefully, a grin on her face. Kagome blinked a few times before a small half-real-smile appeared on her face for Kaede's sake.
"No, I don't," she said honestly, inwardly jumping for joy the thing had been forced to shut its mouth.
From that point on, there were also a lot less yōkai attacking the village, both, miko and hanyō, noted with satisfaction.
乗
Kagome suppressed a sigh as the memory faded. 'I never asked her how she sealed it. I never thought it was something I needed to know,' she thought somewhat sadly, berating herself for it now when the same problem surfaced again. When Kikyo died, the seal, whatever it was, must have broken. Either that, or it had progressively lost its power since the Jewel was reborn from Inuyasha's body, assuming the seal was still present then. At any rate, she was now faced with the same problem as back then. Only back then, Kikyo took care of it and she never thought to ask how she did it. 'I should have asked her,' the young half-demon berated herself. 'I really should have asked her.'
It was too late now, though. Kikyo was long gone, resting in peace and the Jewel was once again threatening to make her lose her mind. She couldn't let that happen, no matter what. Question was, what to do to stop it? There wasn't really much she could do. It was something Inuyasha needed to figure out, just like Kikyo had.
Kagome sighed as she slowly stood up, her eyes roaming the land below them. She realized quickly where they were and she couldn't help but smile ruefully. This was the perfect landing spot, considering what she needed to do. She knew it couldn't wait and she also knew Inuyasha couldn't stay anywhere near her until the Jewel's power was once again sealed.
And she had to trust him to figure it out on his own, because if he went to Kaede, he'd be too close to her for too long. He needed to leave right away, before she did something she'd never forgive herself for.
"We could land here. We're close enough and I think that'd be better than arriving straight at the village," Kagome spoke calmly to Miroku as she approached him, slowly lowering herself into a crouch when she was beside him, carefully ignoring Inuyasha all the while. "I think the villagers would panic if something as big as this suddenly hovered over them. It's better to land now."
"I think you are correct, Kagome-sama. It would be startling," Miroku agreed, then leaned slightly forward. "Hachi, take us down here," he said to the transformed raccoon, who answered with a simple 'alright', his voice slightly distorted because of his transformation. Not even five minutes later, the yōkai landed lightly on the ground and waited for his passengers to slide off. Kagome easily jumped down to the ground, but her knees buckled beneath her upon landing, forcing her into a crouch. Cursing under her breath, the half-demon glared at the ground beneath her, since she was unable to glare at her back, which was throbbing rather painfully. 'Seems like the wound is deeper than I thought… Damn,' she thought under her breath as she slowly stood up, just in time for her shoulders to cushion the fall of a small kitsune.
Hissing slightly, Kagome almost fell forward and crouched again as Shippō rolled over her shoulder to land in front of her on his back.
"Ite," the small fox whined softly as he rolled onto his stomach and stood up, one tiny claws rubbing the back of his head – most likely the place that impacted with Kagome's shoulder's. When his eyes opened and he saw just who he had collided with, he gasped. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I slipped. I'm sorry. Are you alright, Kagome?" he asked, apologizing rapidly, his voice frantic. Kagome forced a weak smile on her face despite the pain. She didn't want to worry him too much.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," she said softly as she ruffled his hair before standing up, just barely managing to stop herself from wincing. 'OK, it's a lot deeper than I thought. It'll probably take a couple of days to heal,' she admitted to herself while the tanuki transformed into his normal form and accepted his payment from Miroku.
"I hope these aren't leaves, master Miroku" the demon asked doubtfully as he stared at his payment. Kagome ignored both him and the monk, turning to the kannushi instead.
"Inuyasha, come with me for a bit," she requested quietly as she gently moved her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to cover her wound from sight. She hoped her hair wouldn't get too bloody, it would be a pain to try and wash it out later. But she didn't want Inuyasha to see the injury and be reminded that he was a cause of it, in a way.
"Oi, wait! Where the hell do you think you're going, hanyō-wench," Inuyasha yelled after her somewhat angrily as he easily caught up and grabbed her arm. Kagome couldn't help but smile slightly at the familiar insult – one she was starting to think of as a nickname, rather than an insult. She was quick to force it off her face, however, as she glanced at the future-born teen.
"Somewhere I want you to come with me," she said simply and easily ripped her arm out of his grip. She started to walk again without looking back, leaving him to follow behind her, until she heard one more set of footsteps following. Narrowing her eyes, she glared over her shoulder at Miroku.
"I don't recall telling you to follow, Miroku-sama," she said respectfully, although her voice had a rather annoyed edge to it. The houshi seemed to catch on to it, too, because he simply smiled innocently at her and backed up. With a huff, Kagome turned her back on him and walked off, Inuyasha following suit.
They walked in silence for a bit, Kagome a few steps in front of him as she led him God only knew where. He was hardly paying any attention to his surroundings, however, his eyes being glued to Kagome's back. He couldn't see the wound, as it was covered by her hair, but he didn't need to, he knew it was there. And he also knew he was the cause for it.
The trees they were walking through dispersed suddenly as they walked into a clearing. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks when he suddenly realized where they were. 'The Bone-Eaters Well?' he questioned in his thoughts as he slowly walked towards it, following Kagome. 'Why would she want to come here of all places?' he couldn't help but wonder as he got closer and closer to the ancient wood. The well that could send him between two time periods, the well that was actually the reason he met Kagome, as it brought him here for the first time what felt like ages ago, when in fact it hasn't even been two months yet. Back then, he had a centipede following him, wanting the Jewel that rested within his flesh. 'Now that I think about it, why was it inside of me, anyway?' he thought with a frown, only for his thoughts to be interrupted by Kagome's voice.
[T]
"How are you feeling?" she asked him as she leaned against the well, her hands supporting her weight when she leaned slightly backwards. She was finally facing him, although he couldn't help but feel she was simply trying to hide her injury from him. And why the Hell would she ask him how he was feeling? She was the one injured, damn it.
As if sensing his confusion and slight anger, Kagome nodded towards his bandaged hand. A small 'oh' escaped him as understanding dawned on him.
"It's fine," he replied gruffly. "You should be more worried about yourself," he added after a while, turning his head away. He missed the soft smile that appeared on Kagome's flesh in response to his harsh, yet in his own way caring, words.
"I'll be fine," she said quietly before a sigh escaped her and she lowered her head. "But I got you into quite a situation back there," she said, regret clear ion her voice. She missed the way Inuyasha turned his head sharply to stare at her with wide, unbelieving eyes, as she continued talking. "You could have gotten seriously hurt. You could have even died…"
"But I didn't," Inuyasha interrupted her harshly, not liking where this was going at all. 'Thanks to you,' he added in his head, but did not dare to say so aloud. Kagome only shook her head, though.
"Still, it could have happened," she said slowly, "and I'm sorry," she added after a while, making Inuyasha gape for a second before he spoke up. Her words have broken something within him, some lock that always stopped him from saying things he knew he should say, but didn't because of his pride. Only his mother could do that to him… and now he realized Kagome had the same kind of power, too. The power to make him swallow his pride, if only for a little while, and apologize.
"It should be me saying sorry," he said softly, his eyes falling to the ground as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You got hurt protecting me. Again. You shouldn't have had to. I'm sorry you had," he said quietly, causing Kagome to blink a few times in surprise. This had to be the first time he ever apologized for anything to her face – the time when he thought she was asleep didn't count, after all.
Frowning, Kagome pushed herself off of the rim of the well and took the couple of steps that separated her from him.
"You're acting weird," she said when she was barely a foot away from him. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?" she asked and put a hand on his forehead, as if to check if he didn't have a fever. Inuyasha's eyes rose to meet her at the contact and he couldn't help but blush when he saw their proximity. He quickly smacked her hand away from his forehead and scowled, turning away from her in an attempt to save at least some of his dignity.
"Keh! That's the last time I ever say anything nice to you, hanyō-wench," he grumbled, unaware that his words only amused the half-demon further. She was quick to get serious again, however and she glared at his profile.
"Whatever. Anyway, the fact remains that it had been dangerous and you can't deny that. Also, because you have the Jewel, we're bound to face even greater danger when something like this happens again," she said, her voice going soft despite herself. Inuyasha tensed beside her, his eyes narrowing into a fierce glare.
"It won't happen again. I won't let any other demon take the Shikon," he stated firmly, a promise to both her and himself. He wouldn't let it happen again. It wasn't an option.
"Even if you won't, there are still other things out there," Kagome replied with a sigh, leaning against the well once again. "Like that Naraku guy who's sure to come after us. Or my brother," she said softly and her hand tightened on Tessaiga at the mere thought. Yes, Sesshōmaru coming after them sooner or later was unavoidable. And he was definitely not a demon one should mess with.
"So what?" Inuyasha asked hotly, finally directing his glare at her. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed again, her anger rising to the surface at his lack of understanding.
"So what? Is that all you can say? Are you insane? This time we got out of this alive, but we have no guarantee for any other battle!" she almost yelled at him, sounding angry but in reality only feeling worry. Worry that something would happen to him and not necessarily at an enemy's hands. Or claws. Whatever. "Aren't you afraid?" she asked finally.
That did it. Whatever guilt or remorse he might have felt over her injury up until that point vanished as if it was never there, only to be replaced by anger. Or rather, seething rage. And he wasn't about to bottle it up.
"I'm not afraid!" Inuyasha exploded, fists clenching at his sides at the idea she really thought he'd be scared of a little danger. "Who the Hell do you think I am? I'm not some little kid, Kagome! As if a mangy wolf like that could ever be enough to scare me! I can take care of myself, whether you believe me or not! And I'm not afraid of anyth…"
He was interrupted when he suddenly felt arms circling around his torso and before he could even blink, he found Kagome pressed against his chest, her forehead resting on his shoulder. His voice died in his throat and he froze as she hugged him, not knowing what he should say or do. His anger suddenly flowed out of him, leaving him completely open and vulnerable to the hanyō-girl, unable to hide behind his usual mask of anger an annoyance and consequently frozen in place as she held him. He heard her talk.
"I was scared," Kagome admitted quietly into his shoulder, not knowing whether he actually heard her soft words or not, but not really caring at this point. 'At the thought of you dying… at the thought of you getting hurt by my claws… I was scared,' she admitted to herself, her hold on the teen in front of her tightening as she closed her eyes. She had come close to hurting him in that battle, and he didn't even know it. Hell, she was risking losing her mind right now, she could hear the Jewel after all, yet she couldn't let go of him, not yet. It felt good to hold him. It reassured her that she had resisted the Jewel's call. She hadn't hurt him.
She didn't want any more of his blood on her claws. That one time when she tore into his flesh was one time too much.
"Ka-Kagome?" Inuyasha asked quietly, his mind in a daze at their contact and hardly registering what she was saying. But he did hear her. 'She was scared?' he thought to himself in disbelief. The idea that the hanyō-girl in front of him, the half-demon hugging him could be scared of anything was foreign to him. She never seemed to be scared of anything, not matter what was happening. Yet in this moment, she reminded him most that she was a girl. Not a human and definitely not weak, but a girl nonetheless.
Slowly, he raised his arms to hug her back, but stopped midway in the action, then let his arms fall back to his sides. He didn't want to cause her any pain, and he still remembered the sight of those wounds on her back. They looked painful. He didn't want to add to that pain.
"That's why," Kagome said softly as she reopened her eyes, fighting with herself to not flex her claws. In one swift movement, she pushed Inuyasha away from her with enough force for him to stumble backwards until his legs hit the rim of the well. He hadn't even noticed when she had turned them around.
[/T]
"Kagome, what…?" Inuyasha started to ask, but cut off when he saw the hanyō's claws flexing. He gulped, although deep down he believed she wouldn't hurt him. Because she wouldn't… right? 'Damn… it's happening again!' Kagome thought angrily as one of her hands automatically sought Tessaiga and gripped it for all she was worth. The sword seemed to vibrate in her hand, but whether that was just her imagination or not, she didn't know. At any rate, it allowed her to regain her slipping control. 'He has to get away from me! And he has to do it now!' she yelled at herself, a scowl forming on her face. She directed it at the stunned teen.
"That's why," she repeated, "until you find a way to seal the Jewel, you must not come back!" she yelled and pushed him strongly. Unprepared for it, Inuyasha lost his balance and fell into the well with a surprised yelp. Kagome ignored it and swiftly turned her back on the well, but did not leave. She barely registered the monk and kitsune who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ran towards the well. They must have been spying.
"What did you do, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked in disbelief as he stared down the well, only for his eyes to widen further. "Inuyasha… disappeared?" the monk spoke, obviously not believing what he was seeing.
"On the other side of that well," Kagome started to answer his unasked question through gritted teeth, fighting with all her might against the suddenly very strong pull towards the wooden contraption. It was surprisingly hard to withstand this time around. She suppressed a growl of frustration. "That's where Inuyasha lives," she finished, her fists clenching at her sides in an attempt to remain in control. "He'll be safe there. Now put a barrier around it."
"What? Why, Kagome?" Shippō asked, obviously not understanding the current situation in the least. Kagome didn't blame him. He was but a child, and he was not a half-ling at that. He didn't have to worry about balance inside of him.
"Just do it, Miroku-sama, and do it quick," she all but commanded, once again gripping her sword for all she was worth. She didn't know why, but it somehow helped her remain in control of her own body. "Make sure no demon or human can get inside."
She knew her voice was urgent and she also knew the monk understood it, for he listened without further questions. Kagome's ears twitched on her head as she heard the sounds of o-fuda being slapped onto wood and with each one, it was getting somewhat easier to withstand the Jewel's call, as the spiritual barrier also seemed to block some of the Jewel's power. How that worked, however, she had no idea. The hanyō-girl let out a sigh of relief and once the last o-fuda was put on, Miroku turned to her with a serious look on her face.
"I think you need to explain to me a few things, Kagome-sama," he said calmly and Kagome nodded, feeling drained all of a sudden. The pain in her back wasn't helping matters any, either.
"Come with me to the village, I'll explain there," she said simply as she started to walk. Besides some explaining, she also needed someone to tend to her wound and though she would not admit it aloud, it could hardly wait any longer. Miroku followed her without a word, as did Shippō.
XxX
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was climbing out of the well in his time with the help of the ladder he and his mother had installed there, cursing under his breath.
"Damn that wench. What the Hell was she thinking?" he grumbled as he reached the top of the ladder. Then he turned around and glared down at the bottom of the well. "I'll go right back and give her a piece of my mind," he muttered angrily, but before he could let go of the ladder and let himself fall into the time portal, the sound of the door sliding open behind him forced him to turn and glance over his shoulder. He came face to face with his mother, who was smiling down at him from the entrance of the well house.
"Hello, Inuyasha," she said with a smile and Inuyasha knew right there and then that going straight back and chewing the hanyō-girl out was no longer an option. He bit back a sigh and climbed out of the well. "I had a feeling I'd be finding you here soon," she continued to say and Inuyasha couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling that settled in his stomach. He couldn't very well tell her it wasn't an intended return home, nor could he say that he just tried to go right back without even passing by. Biting back a sigh, he climbed out of the well and leaned on it, finding himself rubbing the back of his neck for the second time that day.
"Well, I can't stay over there without coming back once in a while, right?" he said slowly, sounding unsure even to himself. He cursed in his mind. There was no way his mother would buy such a lame 'excuse'. She'd definitely know something was up.
And indeed, his mother shot him a look, one that clearly said she knew there was something he wasn't telling her, but thankfully, she didn't push the subject. Instead, she focused on something else, but it wasn't necessarily a better subject.
"Inuyasha, what happened to your arm?" Izayoi asked worriedly, her eyes falling on the bandage. Inuyasha, realizing only now that he had raised his injured hand, quickly lowered it again and tried to hide it from his mother's view, not that it helped much.
"It's nothing, haha-ue" he assured her quickly, already feeling bad for making her worry. "It's almost healed, anyway, just a little scratch. Nothing to worry about," he continued, praying she'd believe him. It was just a tiny, little, white lie – the wound wasn't completely healed yet and would probably take another couple of days to finish healing, but it truly wasn't anything to fret over. Not anymore, anyway.
But his mother only frowned at his evasiveness on the subject, then stepped to the side as if to let him pass through the door and nodded towards the house.
"Off to the kitchen. I'll have a look at that arm," she told him sternly. Inuyasha vigorously shook his head in denial.
"I'm telling you, it's nothing. Don't worry about it," he repeated frantically. He knew it didn't look like nothing, and he didn't want his mother to worry. Besides, as unlikely as it was, since she was the one to first tell him to go through the well, what if she now told him to stay because it was too dangerous? He didn't want that. Actually, he felt that if she did, this might be the first time he'd ever disobey her, because he'd go, anyway. "I'm really fine, I swear," he pressed somewhat desperately, but his mother wouldn't be moved.
"To the kitchen, young man. Right now," Izayoi said sternly, her eyes daring her son to disagree again. He didn't. With a sigh, he pushed himself away from the well and walked towards his mother and his house, hoping she wouldn't fret too much when she saw the healing wound. It really wasn't worth worrying over anymore, anyway.
XxX
"Even for a hanyō such as yourself, these wounds don't seem minor, Kagome," Kaede said calmly to break the tense silence that fell in her hut after Kagome's explanations. The hanyō-girl huffed, but didn't respond. 'If you saw me after certain fights with Sesshōmaru, you wouldn't be saying that,' she thought dryly as the elder priestess tended to her wounded back.
"If I understood you correctly, Kagome-sama," Miroku finally spoke up, his gaze directed at the wall in front of him. He had his back turned on Kagome and the priestess tending to her, though it was not because he wanted to give the half-demon any semblance of privacy like any normal male would. Kagome had glared at him for a rather long while before he finally did as she had told him to do, with an innocent smile on his face that didn't fool anyone but Kaede, who had yet to be introduced to his… less monk-like traits. "You sent Inuyasha away because you felt the Jewel's power?"
"I heard its call," Kagome corrected. "And even though I am not interested in the Jewel, a part of me reacted to it."
"That is what I do not understand, Kagome-sama. How can you hear the Jewel calling?" Miroku asked seriously, a deep frown on his face. Kagome would have shrugged, had her current position permitted it. Instead, she merely rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"I hear its voice in my head, plain and simple," she said, some of her irritation seeping into her voice. "What's so weird about that?"
"I think what houshi-sama means, Kagome, is how can feeling the Jewel's power suddenly change into hearing its voice?" Kaede wondered aloud, her mind wandering to that one talk with Kagome all those years ago when the hanyō had admitted to feeling the Jewel's power now that she had been reminded of it. The young hanyō blinked in surprise, her golden eyes turning to look at the elder miko to the best of her abilities.
"And also, if that's all there's to it, why not simply distance yourself from Inuyasha?" Miroku added calmly. Kagome narrowed her eyes at the thought, but did not plan on letting the monk know the idea didn't please her for various reasons… and not all of them being merely her protective instincts.
"It didn't change. I still feel the Jewel's power. But I also hear its calling," she said, making Kaede stare at her like she was seeing her for the first time.
"I thought demons were merely able to feel the Jewel's power…" she murmured under her breath as she leaned away from the half-demon, signaling she had finished bandaging her up. Kagome didn't waste any time getting back up, mindful of her injury, and getting redressed. Kaede's words made her realize just where the misunderstanding lay and she sighed.
"Yōkai only sense its power, yeah. At least that's what it looks like to me. I wouldn't know. I'm only half," she said slowly, tapping Miroku on the shoulder as a sign for him to turn back around. He did so rather hastily and she sent him a dirty look when she smelt disappointment on him, though he did not let it show on his face. "But yōkai aren't the only thing the Shikon attracts, are they?" she asked rhetorically.
"Indeed, no. Humans are known for wanting it, too," the young monk acknowledged, his mind once again centered on the problem at hand. Kagome nodded.
"And how do humans know when the Jewel is near?" Kagome asked again, but didn't wait for an answer. "I would think they hear the calling, plain and simple. And ningen are known to be easily manipulated, especially by promises of power. So of course they would do what the Jewel told them."
"You make it sound like the Jewel has a will of its own," Shippō suddenly piped up. His seemingly innocent comment made the hut grow quiet again, until Kagome broke it.
"Well, it obviously does," she said in a tone that implied she was stating the obvious. However, she got only blank looks in response, causing her to blink. "What? Don't tell me you never thought of it," she said, eyeing first Kaede, then Miroku. When neither seemed to understand, she huffed and explained her reasoning, "well, the Shikon is an object of power. And often, those tend to develop their own minds. Like any yōkai whose real form is in actuality an object or a mere flower. Why would the Jewel be any different, especially considering how powerful it actually is?"
"I must admit, I never thought of it that way," Miroku admitted quietly after a moment of silence. "But it certainly does make a lot of sense… except I haven't heard the voice even once since I started traveling with you or before."
"And I never sensed any kind of power, either," Shippō added. "That one time when I actually got it from you, I knew Inuyasha had it because it was in plain sight," he added quickly, making Kagome sigh briefly at Inuyasha's recklessness. She couldn't complain, though, he was learning. He's gotten pretty strong in those two short moon cycles, too. Her eyes widened in realization. 'Could that be why I'm hearing it now? Or why its pull is stronger? Has the Jewel realized its protector is becoming stronger… and become more desperate to get away from him for some reason?' she couldn't help but wonder. It would make sense, though, in a way. When she was near, she hardly felt its power… almost like the thing was certain that while being this close, she couldn't possibly stop herself from taking the Jewel. She heard the taunting voices, though, voices that were supposed to be heard by humans.
When she got farther away, the whispers disappeared. But then she could feel the Jewel's aura much more strongly, as if t was taunting her to come to it, pulling her in, calling it… yōkai would never even try to resist such a pull, with few exceptions, just like ningen would never resist the temptation should such an object of power be so close to them (though they might think twice about going to look for it if it was very far away, as they were frail beings). Yet the closer Inuyasha was to full recovery, the stronger both kinds of calls got. Almost as if the Jewel had thought earlier it didn't need to call out much, since its guardian could hardly be called that, but now that Inuyasha was learning, it suddenly got afraid it would never leave his hands, after all.
Could that be it?
"Maybe it has something to do with your strength," she said aloud, answering Miroku and Shippō's half-questions, though her mind was on a slightly different line of thought. "Shippō isn't strong enough, so the Shikon wouldn't be interested in him. And you, Miroku-sama, are powerful enough to withstand, maybe even tune out the call. Plus, you're a spiritualist. I don't think the Jewel would want to change hands from one spiritualist to another. It seems to prefer yōkai for some reason."
"Whenever the Shikon is in a demon's hands, it gets tainted and evil. So I would assume the Jewel wishes to cause evil… if it has indeed a will of its own," Kaede reasoned and Kagome nodded grimly in response.
"I'm pretty sure it does have a will of its own, though I don't like the idea," she admitted, her brows furrowed in a frown that only people who knew her very well could tell was not one of the irritated kind. Rather, she was frowning worriedly. "Because if that assumption is correct, it would mean Inuyasha not only needs to get strong enough to protect the Jewel from any who might try to get it…"
"… he'd also have to be strong enough to protect himself from the very thing he's supposed to guard," Miroku finished, his tone serious. "And that is not something we could help him with."
Tense silence fell in the hut once again, but Kagome was quick to break it again.
"Well, let's drop the subject. The Shikon isn't our problem, anyway. That's something Inuyasha needs to figure out on his own. What I'm more concerned about are those who will come after the Jewel," she said with a frown. 'Like Naraku.'
"You would really trust Inuyasha with such an important task as sealing the Jewel's powers, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked doubtfully, his lack of confidence in the future-born teen obvious in his voice. But Kagome didn't blame him. He hardly knew Inuyasha, after all, and didn't know even half of what she did about the teen – not that she could say she knew much herself.
"It's part of his duty. He better figure it out after being so persistent on keeping the Shikon," the young half-demon scoffed, unwilling to admit her true feelings aloud. She wasn't entirely lying, though, such a task was part of Inuyasha's duty as guardian of the Shikon no Tama, whether he himself knew it or not.
Still, if only to herself, she could admit that she believed in him, and trusted him to come up with a solution. If Kikyo had, why shouldn't Inuyasha? After all, he had the whole knowledge of his time on his side, and although Kagome hadn't been in his time period much, in that one conversation she had with Inuyasha's mother she definitely learned something: if there was one thing that really counted in his time, it was knowledge. So it was a given that even if Inuyasha didn't exactly show it, he was knowledgeable. Meaning there was no reason for him not to think of something.
She was sure of it.
XxX
Inuyasha bit back a sigh of relief when his mother put away the first aid hit after inspecting and re-bandaging his wound, obviously not having thought much of it. He suspected she wasn't too worried because it looked even better than even he had expected. The daily portion of Kagome's blood had really done wonders and now, though still stinging from time to time, the wound was mostly healed. A couple of days, maybe even just one, would finish the process and he could get back to training.
"Still, those wounds, small as they are, really do look like claw marks. How did it happen?" Izayoi asked softly as she put the first aid kit away and sat at the kitchen table, facing her son. This made ultimately any attempt at escaping on his part impossible. When she continued to gaze at him expectantly, patiently awaiting an answer, Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat, wondering what to tell her.
He didn't want to lie to his mother. He never had before and he didn't want to start now. But on the other hand, he didn't want her to know it was Kagome who had wounded him, either, even if it was to save his life. Lastly, he could admit that much to himself, he didn't want even his mother to know how much of a fool he had been.
But what could he tell her except the truth when she was looking at him like that?
Inuyasha sighed in defeat. There wasn't anything he could do except telling the whole truth, so that's what he did. He didn't look up at his mother as he talked, however, afraid of the disappointment he knew he'd see in her eyes. He was grateful she didn't interrupt him, however.
When he finished speaking, his mother was quiet for a while, and had he only dared to look up, he would have seen her eyes didn't hold any disappointment at all. Instead, she was smiling sadly at him, a smile that spoke volumes of how much she wished he had learned his lesson in a way less harsh than this.
"Knowing what had happened," she said slowly and calmly, finally managing to make Inuyasha look up at her. Smiling wider, she continued, "There was a question I asked you last time you were home. Now let me ask you again: do you trust that girl, Inuyasha?"
"Of course I do," he replied without thinking, only wondering about it once the words were out of his mouth. But this time, he felt like he could really say it and mean it, in almost every meaning of the word.
He definitely trusted her to help him if he ever needed it (not that he'd ever say so to anyone's face. As far as everyone else was concerned, he didn't need anyone's help. Ever.), and he definitely trusted her with his life. He also trusted her to teach him, to make him stronger. He trusted her to protect herself, too, even if he wanted to be the one to do the protecting, instead.
It made him wonder, though, if he had any secrets like hers, like for instance her human day, secrets that literally gave her life in the hand of those she told them to… if he had secrets like that, would he trust her with them?
Then again, that went under the category of 'trusting her with his life', didn't it?
"I really do trust her… I think," he said, hesitating only slightly, not because he was unsure, but because the last time he was so certain he trusted her, he ended up being proven wrong. Izayoi nodded in acknowledgment to his answer.
"If you really trust her, then tell me this: would she send you back here without a good reason to do so?" she asked calmly, making Inuyasha gape at her before he quickly recovered. More or less.
"What the… How did you…?" he stammered, only making his mother smile at his surprise.
"It was rather obvious from the way you were staring into the well. That and you don't have your backpack with you," she said as if it was obvious. "I figured your return wasn't exactly planned by you from that," she added, and Inuyasha scratched the back of his head guiltily. Well, it wasn't like she was incorrect, but he really hadn't wanted her to know that. His mother was often much more perceptive than he would have liked, though.
"No, she wouldn't," he admitted softly in response to her question. "I just can't figure out why she did." 'And why she hugged me like that,' he couldn't help but think, his cheeks turning a slight pink at the thought. He hoped his mother didn't notice. If she did, she didn't comment on it.
"I'm sure the Inuyasha must have given you some sort of clue," Izayoi pressed, her gaze never leaving her son. It was then that Kagome's words once again rang in his mind, though all they did was confuse him further.
"That's why, until you find a way to seal the Jewel, you must not come back!"
The only problem was… he had no idea what she could have possibly meant.
Yes, I know, how could I, they were just separated and barely got together and I'm already separating them yadda yadda yadda. Concentrate on the important stuff people: THEY HUGGED! Or, well, Kagome hugged Inuyasha, but still :3
IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ:
I'm on vacation next week, and there'll be most likely no internet. That means no update next week, so don't expect one. The week after that, university starts again. So, sorry to disappoint, but I'll be back to monthly updates. Hope you made some patience reserves… I'll try to keep up with that schedule, OK? Just, sorry, but university comes first, so I need to concentrate on that. Thanks for your understanding.
Next Issue: Brainstorming on both sides of the well.