A Whole New World
Legends Become the New Reality
Though he was still outside, he heard everything Kagome was talking about. He would have been inside to explain why he did what he was doing, but he really didn't want to piss her off more than she already was. He did feel guilty though that she was crying because of him and it also angered him to hear something about his brother. What could she want with him? He was the enemy and he tried to kill them every time they crossed each others path. So why? Why him? He figured that he would see her soon, so he left his sitting spot to return to his home.
After she had calmed down, Kagome got off her bed and walked down stairs to greet her mother. With her being mad earlier, she ran right by her and didn't say a word and she felt bad. When she reached the bottom of the steps, she stopped. What would she even say to her mother? She knew that she liked him but what would happen after she explained why she was mad at him? Would she be mad? Would she ban her from ever returning to the past, to her friends? I'll never know if I just keep standing here. So she continued on.
Her mother was still in the kitchen but instead of making herself an early lunch, she was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.
"Hi momma. Sorry about earlier. I was just a little upset about something"
"That's alright dear, are you feeling any better now?"
"Yea, I guess so"
From the look on her face, Ms. Higurashi didn't believe what she said but nodded her head in acceptance anyways, knowing she would tell her eventually. "That's good. Are you going back today? I could make you some bento boxes for you to take with you."
"Thanks momma and yea, we're gonna go back today"
"We?" She knew Inuyasha had come but she could have sworn he left just a few minutes ago.
"Yea. Yuriko and I are going back to the past" she walked towards the fridge and grabbed a water.
"Can she even go through? Have you tried yet?"
"No we haven't. Kagome said we were going to try and hope it works." Yuriko had been sitting at the bottom of the stairs after they walked out of Kagomes room, listening to their conversation.
Ms. Higurashi gave her daughter a look of confusion and Kagome began explaining how she knows and whats been going on with her. Hence why they were going to attempt another traveler.
She sat there for a few minutes thinking. What would two future kids going to the past mean? Could it alter the future they know? Could either be hurt? What would she tell Yurikos mother if something had happened to her daughter? How can anyone, let alone another mother, tell someone that their child has been hurt? And what was Kagome thinking telling another person of her travels? She didn't even tell her other school friends! She shook her head, stood up and began cooking.
"Are you ok momma? You look upset." She figured she would be because that would mean another person that she cared for had a chance of getting hurt.
"I'm fine dear. I'm just worried that's all." she stopped. "You will be careful, won't you?"
Both Kagome and Yuriko chimed in together saying "yes ma'am". Ms. Higurashi smiled and went back to making her daughter the bento boxes she had promised. Though she was still worried, she knew they would be fine. Her daughter has survived two years over there and Yuriko had always been the kind of adventurous kid who always got her self in sticky situations but was never harmed. They'll be fine. Besides, Inuyasha will be with them.
"We're gonna go get a few things that we're going to need and I need some extra clothes too and then we'll be back." She simply nodded and the two friends started up the stairs.
Food mommas getting, clothes, crayons, coloring books, candy, bow, arrows, medical supplies, some homework.. Hm. I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Oh! I almost forgot the shards! Giving herself a satisfied nod, Kagome closed her backpack and secured the shards around her neck. It seemed that every time she went back, she always carried more and more over there than necessary. Homework wasn't a necessity but she didn't want to fall too far behind. The thought of never having to do homework again, gave her a wonderful feeling.
"Wow Kagome. That sure is a lot of stuff. Do you really need all of that?" Startled out her own musings, she nodded her head.
"Yea. The candy, coloring books and crayons are for a little fox demon that travels with us and for this little girl when we come across her and Sesshomaru. The medical supplies are always necessary, clothes obviously. My bow and arrows are for my protection. I didn't want to bring them but I earned them back in the Feudal Era and I didn't want Inuyasha to sell them for money. He attempted it once already"
"The homework?"
"Also important. I'm usually gone for long periods of time and I don't want to fall behind so I bring it with me sometimes. It helps a little"
"Hm. Alrighty then, you ready to go?" Kagome nodded.
Heaving her heavy bag over her shoulder, she said, "Yep. Let's go"
Yuriko lead the way downstairs and into the kitchen. Once there, Ms. Higurashi helped Kagome put the bento boxes into another bag. When it was full, with ramen included, she handed the bag to Yuriko, hugged both girls goodbye and watched as they walked to the front door.
Before they could leave, she yelled out, "Be careful girls!"
"We will!" They shouted.
As they ran out the door and headed towards the Well House, Kagome heard Yuriko say, "This is indeed going to be a very interesting trip."
She giggled and slid the doors opened, "You're probably right but I think you'll like it."
"Yea maybe. I'm hoping for more truth than fun if I'm being honest"
"I know. This is it"
"This is how we are getting there? And all I have to do is..."
"Jump. It's easy, and once you land on the other side you have to climb out."
"Sounds easy enough." Yuriko watched as Kagome lifted one leg after the other and then hurled herself over the edge. Here goes nothing. Repeating the same actions as her friend did, Yuriko felt that familiar blue magic that she felt the once before when she had shown her how it worked. As it surrounded her, she vaguely thought how it made her feel safe, like a warm blanket or a hug.
"Oomph.. Well that certainly hurt"
"You okay?"
Looking around, she noticed that she was still in the Well but there was a sky above her instead a roof. "Huh? Yea, I am. I just didn't realize that I would come and land on my butt"
Both girls laughed and as Yuriko stood, Kagome said, "Don't worry, happened to me the first time I came too"
"Alright. So you said we climb out, right? How do you climb out with heavy ass bags?"
"Well we can either climb out by ourselves or I can call for Inuyasha." The light in her eyes dimmed a little as she said his name.
"I will take your yellow bag instead. I do have a little more arm strength than you" she joked.
Kagome giggled at her friends attempt to cheer her up. "Okay. But so you don't have to carry two bags, I'll take yours." Plan figured out, the girls switched bags and began climbing up the vines that lined the well walls.
Reaching the top of the well first, Yuriko pulled herself up and out as fast as possible so Kagome could climb out right away. Taking a moment to look around, she noticed all the trees that surrounded the area. There were many that were much taller than she had ever seen and some that looked as if they had just started growing. She also noticed there was more wildlife, and bugs, here than there were in her time and some species she had never seen or heard of. This is all so cool and strange at the same time. I wish momma was here to see this! She'd love it! The one thing she saw that really stuck out was the tallest tree far out in the distance.
"Is that the God tree?" she asked.
"Mhm. And that's were we are headed to." Kagome walked over to a nearby tree and grabbed the bike she had hid there. She set the bag she carried down in the basket and motioned for Yuriko to do the same but on the back end.
As they began their walk to the village in which her other friends resided, Kagome glanced at Yuriko. She did nothing to hide the excitement that showed on her face and frankly, she didn't care. This was all new to her and she wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. As they walked through the forest, she noticed many different smells than your average Tokyo park. There were wild flower smells everywhere, fresh dirt, rain, different herbs that grew amongst the trees and a funny moldy like smell. There must be mushrooms around here if it smells like this. In the next few steps she took, Yuriko managed to step on a very large patch of mushrooms.
"EWW!" She yelled as she scraped her foot in the dirt and Kagome laughed at her antics. She knew her friend hated them but never knew what her reaction would be if she were to ever step in them. "First thing on my list that I hate about the past. Mushrooms."
As they continued to walk the rest of the way to the village, Kagome stopped. She had felt something, or someone, following her but she couldn't exactly figure it out. The next thing she knew she was falling to the ground with a furry wet mess.
"Oh Kagome! Where have you been?! Stupid Inuyasha has been mean to me!" The minute the little fur ball had said her name, she instantly knew who it was.
Holding on to him so she could sit up, she said, "Oh Shippo I'm sorry. I had to study for a few tests I had, I didn't mean to be gone so long but I'm here now so don't worry." She petted the top of his head in a soothing motion in an attempt to calm him.
Once he was calm, he looked up at her with a tear stained face. "Promise you won't leave me here with him again?"
"I promise." This is the one time she knew for a fact that she could keep a promise she had made, especially since they weren't going to be traveling much longer with said half-breed.
The little fox, now happy as can be, turned his attention to the newcomer. "Who are you?"
She was surprised to say the least. Kagome had told her that demons, half-breeds and everything in between was real and that she had traveled with a little fox demon, but she never expected to meet the demon that soon. "I am Yuriko Akiyama. Who might you be?" He's so cute! His pointed ears and tiny little fangs! Oh my gosh! His eyes are the prettiest green I've ever seen!
"My name is Shippo. How do you know Kagome?" He wasn't stupid. He could, by scent and the obvious way she dressed, tell that she wasn't from this time.
"Kagome is a very good friend of mine and I've known her for a very long time too. How do you know her?" She usually didn't like repeated questions but she was curious and she wasn't the only one.
Kagome watched in curiosity and a little awe at the way her friend was talking to the little demon in her arms. When he had first spoken to her, she knelt down in front of both of them so she could speak to him at his level. From what she had been told, it was best to talk to child this way so they weren't as scared of you. It wouldn't do anyone good if you were trying to help a child in need if they were scared of you. She noticed his hesitation, so she explained for him.
"We first met when these two demons who were known as the Thunder Brothers, were chasing him for a shard that he had. He tried to steal mine as well so he could try and defeat them on his own. We found out that his parents were killed by them and after Inuyasha defeated them, Shippo stayed with us." Kagome hugged him close after her story was finished.
Knowing how he must be feeling she replied, "Oh. I'm sorry to hear about your parents Shippo. I know how it feels to be without them."
"You lost both of yours too?"
She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "No, just my dad. He got sick when I was little. Ever since then, its been my mom, my little sister and me." Shippo thought for a moment and then jumped from Kagomes arms, to Yurikos and hugged her tight. She caught him easily but it was still unexpected. Even Kagome was a little shocked. Shippo wasn't one to jump on new people he hadn't met before but she figured it was because he could relate to her pain, at least half of it anyways.
When Yuriko hugged him back and started to stand, she could feel tiny tears wetting the sleeve of her shirt so she looked to her friend, silently asking what she should do. Crying children wasn't her strong suit if she was honest with herself. Besides her sister, she had never met anyone who felt the same pain that loss brought with it. Until now. He seemed so much younger than her and if he really was still just a child, the loss must be harder for him to deal with.
Kagome didn't know what to do so she just shrugged her shoulders and started the trek once again. After they had been walking a few minutes, Yuriko heard a small sound coming from the child still in her arms. When Kagome noticed she had slowed down, she walked over to see if they were ok. Seeing that they were, she also noticed that the fox was asleep.
"He must not have slept much since I've been gone." she whispered. "Next time I go home, I'm going to try to see if the well with let him through."
"Do you think it'll work?"
"Well it worked for you and it works for Inuyasha. As long as I hold onto him I don't see why it wouldn't."
The rest of the way to the village was quiet. Not a bad quiet but it was comfortable. Upon reaching the outer parts of the village, Kagome was greeted by the women in the rice fields. Waving her hello's, she didn't seem to notice the headache that was walking right for her.
The next thing she heard was a familiar gruff voice. "I need to talk to you. Alone."
Its a little late but while I was working on this chapter I noticed that a lot of it seemed to flow so instead of stopping to put it into another chapter I put it in here. Lots of things goin on for me lately and its stressing me out. I wanna personally thank all of you who are reading this currently and to the ones who favorited/followed the story. It does mean a lot to me and I just wanted to let you guys know that I do appreciate it! Thank you again and I hope you guys like this chapter!
Ms. Manami