Disclaimer- does this need to be here every chapter? I mean, I'm pretty sure if ya read the first chapter (and every one after that!) then you're pretty sick and tired of seeing this.
Chapter four: What Now?
"Hey, Inuyasha! Where's Kagome?" Inuyashas head was down so his bangs covered his eyes. Now he'd have to voice it. He'd have to actually admit to himself and tell the others that Kagome had unexpectedly moved and he wasn't able to find her. Shit. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. Shippo was standing right in front of Inuyasha, so close he could reach out and touch him without moving. Looking up his eyes connected with Inuyashas, and then he was scared. Inuyasha had been staring at the floor, so what better way to see his face then to get right under him? For a few brief seconds Shippo and Inuyasha just stood, eyes locked. Fear and worry began to creep across Shippos features as he watched Inuyashas eyes swirl in pain and sorrow. "Inuyasha…..where's Kagome?" He asked once more, and he was almost afraid of what the hanyous' answer might be. "Inuyasha?" Miroku had spoken up now and was walking towards the non responsive half-demon.
Kaede and Sango looked at each other, the elderly woman wearing a grave expression. It was Sangos turn to pipe up. "Inuyasha…..did something happen to Kagome?" He finally managed to steel up his tough guy façade and face his companions, but no matter how experienced in hiding facial emotion he was, his eyes told them something wasn't right when he couldn't. "She's…….gone." He managed to whisper, his voice gruff, ducking his head back down to cover his face with his bangs so the gang couldn't see that his iron tough façade was melting away like butter. Unable to cope with the tension and every ones gaze, Inuyasha spun on his heel and bolted. "Kagome's…….gone?" Shippo uttered, totally flabbergasted by Inuyashas foreign new behavior. Well, everybody knew the two strong-headed teens had a 'thing', but no one really realized how a seemingly permanent separation would affect him. Kaede shook her head sadly, "this is surely going to take a toll on our young Inuyasha, and he was finally learning how to open up again…"
He ran. He ran, not caring where his feet were taking him. He just needed to get away, away from the questions, away from the confusion and pain. Why did he feel so alone and hurt now? 'She left without telling us, not even a note to explain why……but….but that isn't like Kagome! She had friends here, she liked it here! Well, she liked the good part, anyway. So why didn't she say goodbye? Was she taken! Did someone take her and her family moved away so they wouldn't have to explain? No…I would've known. I would've been able to tell……her last scent outside wasn't bad. She was unhappy though….' Suddenly Inuyasha remembered the thought of her crying by her window. His feet slowed and came to a stop by a spring. Shuddering he looked away, not wanting to remember the time he had first met Kagome and was sat for his first time through a bridge and into the water below. Subconsciously he took a-hold of the rosary around his neck and rolled them between his fingers.
Looking down into the glass-like pool before him he frowned. There was a twig in his hair. Growling in annoyance he reached up and pulled it out, suddenly sensing someone else was here. No, scratch that, four someone's. Knowing all too well who they were he turned around looked at his worried companions who had just climbed down off of Kirara. "Inuyasha. Where. Is. Kagome." Sango stared at him hard, trying to will the words out of his mouth. He had regained his composure and stared back at her blankly, his mouth set in a firm line. Trying to think of the right words to say without upsetting his friends too much Inuyasha ran his clawed fingers through his hair. "She…..she left. Kagome moved away without so much as a goodbye or an explanatory letter and I couldn't find her." He shrugged, "so I don't see what your problem is, Kagome's probably happy wherever she is if she didn't bother to tell us she was leaving, so we don't need to worry about her. She's moved on, so we should too, and get back to hunting jewel shards."
Wrong move. "YOU DON'T EVEN CARE? How, how dare you act like we can simply move on! It's not like we lost a sandal or something! This is Kagome we're talking about here! AND DON'T EVEN START ABOUT THE JEWEL SHARDS, YOU HEARTLESS CREEP! Even with our collected jewel shards we can't just keep looking for the rest! WE HAVE LOST A DEAR FRIEND! What's your problem, Inuyasha!" Sango yelled at him, and Miroku tried to calm her by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she flung it away angrily. Shippo just stood behind Mirokus' leg, and the tears that blurred his vision spilled over as Sango released her fury and sadness with Kagome leaving on Inuyasha. He couldn't keep his temper any longer. "Shut up! Do you really think I don't care? That life will simply continue as it was before without Kagome! Well you don't know very much then, Sango!" he spat out her name like poison. "This is the third time I've lost someone dear to me! Do you think it gets easier after the first couple times? WELL IT DOESN'T!" Inuyasha was trembling with rage, and his bangs were covering his eyes.
The tension between the thread bare friends was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sango was working her mouth trying to say something, but no words would come to her. She felt hollow and raw for saying such nasty things to Inuyasha. Miroku put his hand on her shoulder in comfort, and this time she didn't brush it away. "It always ends up being my fault when someone close to me leaves…..my mother died because of me…..Kikyo…..and now Kagome has left….heh, maybe I was never meant to be cared for, and someone up there is only trying to prove that by ripping everyone away from me." Shippo was sitting on the ground twisting the grass with his fingers uneasily, and Miroku and Sango stood looking at Inuyasha, sorrow clouding their eyes. "Come come Inuyasha, you shouldn't say things like that….." Miroku whispered, trying to console his disheveled friend. He took a step forward, only to be halted by Inuyasha. "No, Miroku. I have learned from experience that I should not get close to anyone. I'm going to leave now, I might return, but I have to take care of some things first." With that said Inuyasha launched himself into the trees and left his companions behind, and the only thing following him was a mournful wail from Shippo. "No Inuyasha! Come back! Please, come back!"
"So uh, what do we do now?" Miroku said as Shippo hopped up on his shoulder. "I guess we go back to Kaedes. There isn't anything else to do." Sango sighed sadly. "I really wish Kagome was here, and then none of this would've happened." Shippo sniffed as the trio climbed onto Kirara, and with a final glance at the trees in which Inuyasha had disappeared, they flew off.
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Sunday meandered by, and in its wake a completely furnished house, a pile of dirty dishes from supper, a bunch of tired men with full bellies, and the Higurashi family left to clean up. They figured out a good line of duty to clean dishes: Grandpa gives Mama dirty dishes, she washes them, Kagome dries, and Souta puts them away. "Goodnight, mama!" Kagome called to her mother as she headed up the stairs. "Goodnight Kagome, goodnight Souta!" "Goodnight mom!" "Goodnight grandpa!" ………"He's asleep dear!" Kagome smiled slightly as she reached the top of the stairs. Buyo (sp?) curled around her legs and she stopped to pet him, and when she stood back up she realized she was right in front of the attic door. 'It couldn't hurt to check, right?' Turning the knob and opening the door she looked up the stairs. 'Right?' Kagome walked up the stairs and stared at the old key still in the door. Uncertainly she reached out and turned it and was greeted by a familiar 'click'. Turning the knob she opened the door a crack and light poured out. "No way!"
She flung the door open and stared in at the paintings. "I can't believe it! Why wasn't all this here when I wanted to show it to mama?" Kagome walked in and looked up at the ceiling. 'Haven for the lost….Place of solitude…' "I guess that means this is only for me….." Shrugging she walked over to the big desk and looked down at the purple and gold book. "Wait, didn't I leave that other book here?" turning she looked curiously at the bookshelves, noticing they were all back in order. "That's weird, but everything about this place is!" She then turned back to the purple and gold book and picked it up. "I wonder whose book this is…" the cover didn't have any writing on it, so she opened it up only to find all the pages were blank. Well, all except one. "Tales of my Life……by….Kagome Higurashi!" She dropped the book like it was about to bite her. 'What is going on here! I never wrote in this book! Wait….am I suppose to use it like a life journal? Like all the others…..they must've been people who found this place too!' Picking the book up once more she searched the desk. "Now where can I get a pen…..ah ha!" Kagome opened the desk drawer and pulled out a simple black fountain pen.
"I guess I'll write about…." As she sat down a picture of Inuyasha flashed in her mind. "I'll write about when I first met Inuyasha!" She titled the first page 'My Fifteenth Birthday' and continued from there, remembering the event like it had only happened yesterday. About a half hour later she put down the pen. "There, my first encounter with Inuyasha….." her eyes saddened as she remembered the dog eared boy. "I wonder how they're doing…." Closing her book she got up and left the room, and just as she shut the door the gold ivy pattern on the book glowed. Walking into her room Kagome flopped down on her bed in exhaustion. "I have to go to school tomorrow….ugh…" she fell asleep quickly, and had not even bothered to change into any pajamas.
"Kagome! Wake up! You have school today!" Mrs. Higurashi called into her room and then went to wake Souta. "Uhhh…..I would rather go to the Feudal Era….." getting out of bed she stared out the window forlornly. "Oh….that's right….we moved away from that…" a single tear made its way down her cheek and she didn't bother to brush it away as it fell to the carpet. "Well, at least there's no school uniforms…." She tried to cheer herself up, but the prospect of being allowed to wear jeans to school still did nothing to brighten her mood. Jumping in to get a shower she was glad that Souta only took one every other day. How were they going to work it out tomorrow, then? "Just don't think about it now, Kagome…" she sighed as she brushed her hair out and threw on a pair of blue jeans and a plain green t-shirt. She decided to think about wearing something a little more interesting tomorrow if she felt like it. Today was going to be a long day, no doubt about that.
Mrs. Higurashi drove Kagome to school before heading off to her new job. "Bye Kagome! Have a nice day at school!" "Bye mama!" she turned around and looked at her new school, butterflies danced in her stomach as she saw all the other students chatting with one another. "Here goes nothing!" she sighed and walked through the crowd with her head down. Suddenly she collided with someone, and looked up in shock. "I'm sorry!" The two girls said at the same time. "Heh heh, you must be new here! I'm Kyana, pleased to meet you!" she extended her hand to Kagome. She took it and said politely, "Kagome Higurashi, pleased to meet you too. I'm sorry I ran into you, I can be a bit of a klutz at times!" "Oh no problem! So why are ya here? I mean, don't new kids come sometime at the beginning of the year?" "Yeah, but my mom got a new job so we had to move…." Kyana looked at Kagome sympathetically. "Oh, you must really miss your old pals then, huh? Hey! Do you wanna be buds? I mean, I could show you around, keep you company at lunch so it isn't so weird sitting alone, the whole nine yards! I just moved here at the beginning of the year, so we can be newbie's together!" Kagome looked at her with surprise. "Really? Wow that would be great! Thanks!" "Yeah, and I could introduce you to Senshozsu, he's the hottest guy in school!" Kyana nudged Kagome in the ribs with her elbow. "And I noticed he's already checking you out!" Kagome blushed and grabbed her new friends arm, "C'mon! We should probably head inside!"
The day went a lot faster than Kagome had expected, and the cool thing was she had all but two of her classes with Kyana. She had become friends with Kyanas only other close pal named Rhea, who was in three of her classes, including the two that Kyana was not. "Bye Kyana! Bye Rhea! See you guys tomorrow!" she waved and hopped in the car with her mother. "So Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi chimed as they drove home, "who were those two? Did you make some new friends?" "Yeah, they're pretty cool. Kyana is bubbly and open all the time, while Rhea is pretty shy and doesn't talk much. I'm glad I've got some friends here to help me out!" "Well, that's wonderful dear!" they arrived at Souta's new school and picked him up. He had also made some new friends and asked Mrs. Higurashi if he could go to one of their houses on Saturday to hang out. All in all it was a pretty good day, but Kagome still missed her old friends and the Feudal Era sorely. Hopping out of the car she greeted her grandfather and went up to her room to do her homework. "I hate math…." She grumbled and set about solving another agonizing problem. After completing her homework Kagome headed up to the attic to write more about her adventure in the Feudal Era. Upon opening the book she gasped. After her entry about meeting Inuyasha and freeing him from the Goshinboku tree there was a beautiful picture of him pinned to the tree by Kikyo's arrow.
She then walked over to a bookshelf and randomly took down a book and flipped through the pages. "I thought the drawings in here were done by the authors…." She put the book she was currently holding and took down another and another, noticing that all the pictures were done similarly, as if the same person had drawn and painted them all. "But how did they get here then? As if this place isn't already strange enough…" Kagome muttered and walked back over to the desk and sat down. Tracing the painting of Inuyasha with her finger she sighed sadly. "I miss you so much…." A tear slid down her cheek and splashed onto the picture where it glowed and disappeared. Jumping up out of the chair Kagome flung the book off the desk in fright. "What the heck is going on here! First this place disappears when I try to show it to someone else, and there's this crazy dragon statue that glows mysteriously without an understandable power source, then I find out the books here can create their own pictures, and now my tears glow and disappear? WHAT IS UP WITH THIS PLACE!" Suddenly one of the pictures on the wall started to glow. She stared at it in shock as the colors swirled and glowed, transforming into a larger version of the picture that was in her book.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome stepped up onto the platform and noticed an inscription in the wood for the first time. "What's this?" the words formed a large circle, big enough to sit in it cross legged. Compelled to do so for some reason she sat there and closed her eyes, as if in a trance. She then looked up at the ceiling and was stunned to see that the writing there swirl around and disappear. "What's going on?" she was almost afraid now, and then to her astonishment the unreadable writing around her glowed and an answer formed in the blank space on the ceiling. Do not fear, this is the place where all the lost and alone souls end up coming. You are writing down your previous life before moving to cope with the change. "Oh my God! Is this like, a magic room or something?" Again the writing glowed and a new answer formed on the ceiling. An old sorcerer created this place long ago, and when he died his magic stayed here, so I believe you could call it enchanted. Suddenly getting an idea Kagome stared up at the ceiling and asked, "How are my friends back home? And what about the Feudal era? Is everyone alright?" The words on the ceiling swirled again to answer her question. I cannot look at people, I can only answer questions about this place, that is what the sorcerer created me for. I am sorry.
Downhearted Kagome started to pick herself up off the floor when she remembered the painting of Inuyasha. "Why did that happen?" she pointed to the painting and then looked up at the ceiling for an answer. As I said before, the paint here is ready to comfort, and by creating pictures of things from home it is a way to help you adjust. Do you understand? Kagome nodded her head and walked over to the painting and stared at Inuyasha, he looked so peaceful and calm. Smiling she remembered the countless fights she had with him, and she remembered her old friends, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. "I wish I could talk to them now….I wish I could tell them how sorry I am for leaving and not saying goodbye…." Turning Kagome walked over to the door and removed the key, and before she left she took one last look at the painting and smiled sadly. 'I miss you, Inuyasha…'
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Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, on his way somewhere, anywhere but there. 'Why did she leave?' He slowed and came to a stop, looking down at his hands. 'Did she leave because of me? Because of what I am?...no! Kagome said she liked me even for being a hanyou!' Inuyasha ran a claw over the bark of the tree he was sitting in, tearing through it unintentionally. Dropping his hand he couldn't help but think, 'was she lying when she said that?' "No! Kagome wouldn't lie about that!" he clenched his fists and dug his nails into the palms of his hands, almost as if he were punishing himself for thinking such a thing about Kagome. Shaking his head he jumped out of the tree and ran on, coming to a stop at the top of a hill he watched the sunset. He couldn't help but think of Kagome then, and the gold in his eyes was enhanced by the setting sun, and if anyone had seen him then, broken with sorrow watching the sun go down, they would truly feel for him, hanyou or not.
After the orange fireball had sunk below the horizon Inuyasha went to find himself a good tree to sleep in, hoping to escape from the pain and confusion of the real world. Settling into a fairly old tree with long, wide branches he sighed. 'I do miss you Kagome, not matter what anyone thinks…'
That night was meant to be special, because in both times the separated friends slept under a full moon with thoughts of each other before parting with the conscious world. That night was special, maybe because the two cared so much for one another, or maybe it was by luck, but for whatever reason, Inuyasha and Kagome shared a dream.
(It'll be from both their points of view, 'cause I think it'd be stupid to write the same dream twice because of the POV)
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Kagome woke up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Uhhh…." She looked around the room and her eyes widened in shock. "I'm back? I'm back home! Or was I just dreaming I left?" She hopped out of bed and changed into her school uniform. "On second thought, I think I'll go to the Feudal Era….I miss everyone so much!" she turned around and saw Inuyasha perched on the window sill, staring in at her happily. "Inu…Inuyasha?" "Kagome!" He jumped into the room and wrapped his arms around her tightly. 'I thought I'd never see you again…..' (A/N: all the thoughts are in normal writing!) "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome pulled out of his hug and looked up at him. "Kagome, why did you leave us? Why didn't you even come to tell us you were going?" he looked down at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes. "What do you mean, 'I left you'? I'm right here! Wait…then it wasn't only a dream? Inuyasha….I tried, really I tried to come, but I couldn't get through….I didn't want to go through…." Kagome looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. "What?" Inuyasha yelped and backed away, shocked at what she had just said. "Inuyasha, please, let me"- "NO! I heard what you had to say! You didn't want to come anymore so you left!" He shook his head angrily and climbed up on the window sill.
"Inuyasha wait! You don't understand! INUYASHA!" "Oh, I understand alright, no need to explain, Kagome! You just got bored of playing around with us so you decided to leave, not even bothering to tell us why!" he growled at her without turning around. "Goodbye, Kagome." With that he jumped out the window and left Kagome sitting in her room, sobbing. "No….no it's not like that….you don't understand….."
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Kagome sat up in bed in a cold sweat, tears running down her cheeks. "No….it was just a dream, Kagome…" she wiped her face roughly, "get a-hold of yourself!" glancing at her clock she noticed that it was an hour before she needed to be awake, but the dream was still fresh in her mind so she decided to take a shower and get ready for school. "Just a dream, Kagome, it was just a dream…"
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Inuyasha jolted awake and nearly fell out of the tree he had been sleeping in. He stared up at the moon; his heart felt like it had been ripped to pieces….again. "No!" He shook his head, trying to rid his memory of the horrid dream. "Kagome wouldn't do that! I know her!" He tried to sleep again, but every time he closed his eyes he saw her saying that, I didn't want to come back. In an attempt to clear his thoughts he jumped out of the tree and took a walk, inhaling the luscious night air. He came across a spring and decided to take a bath, and maybe that would wash away the horrid feeling of being dirty he had after waking up from that dream. He couldn't believe he had said such things to Kagome, even though it was only a dream, and the fact that they had fought almost every day. Stripping down he jumped in, feeling the cold making his skin tingle. 'Why can't I just let her go?'
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Hey everybody! I hope you enjoyed this chappie, even though I feel like Inuyasha was really OOC! So, please review and tell me if you think he was or not, cause I'm a little unsure. I'm really glad I've gotten all good reviews so far, so that must mean I'm doing something right! I don't know what's going to happen with the weird room of paintings, I think I got to carried away with it so it's going to take forever to get rid of it! If anybody has a good idea how to be rid of the thing (WITHOUT the house burning down, or Kagome moving! She has to stay there for my wonderfully scrumptious end!) I would really appreciate the help! Or, if you're freakin tired with the whole 'enchanted room' thing, tell me that too because I might just drop it, seeing as how I haven't got any good ideas for it at the moment... And if ya have any questions or comments, just put 'em in your review and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Oh yeah, the reason Buyo (sp?) and Kagomes grandfather just seemed to pop up now is because I kind of forgot about them in the earlier chapters, besides, they really wouldn't have done anything anyway! And the cute Sango/Miroku scene is coming up for those of you who have been wondering where their fluff has been! Later days!
Mistoffelees Shadow