Hey! Welcome to Chapter Two of 'On The Edge'!
Sorry it took so long to update. I have a knack for starting stories and never finishing them, but this one is at the top of my to-do-list and I am determined to complete it. But I have to remind you, it IS summer, and I'm away for the whole summer and SUPER busy. So forgive me if I don't pop one out every week, but I'll do my best! Anyway, here's chapter two!
…
Ayumi looked around, her eyes wide in frozen fear.
They had fallen down the ancient well. Surely she had broken something.
Yet she remembered never making impact with the ground, the jarring fall she was expecting was replaced by a light feeling, like she was floating to the bottom. Her eyes somehow found Kagome's.
But they didn't hold for long, as she tore her gaze away to look at the scene that surrounded them. Her mouth must have dropped open, but her senses were going insane. She couldn't feel her body.
They were surrounded by a dark, blue light that shimmered around her. It seemed to go on forever, and there was no sight of the inside of the well. They were in… Some kind of vortex?
She looked at Kagome again, who was the only one, apart from herself, with her eyes open. Eri and Yuka were curled against each other; their eyes squeezed shut in terror.
"Where are we?" Ayumi whimpered to Kagome, feeling oddly betrayed by the lack of shock in her friends eyes.
And then it was over.
Gravity pulled her body down, and she was suddenly on her knees in the dirt. Kagome, landing expertly on her feet after years of practice, held a hand out to her friend.
"There are some things I need to explain, guys. I'm sorry."
Ayumi watched the hand hesitantly. Eri and Yuka's eyes opened, and their heads bobbed back and forth between Kagome and Ayumi in dazed confusion.
"H-how are we not dead?" Eri's voice came out shrill. "What just happened?"
Ayumi looked into Kagome's eyes, which held only genuine sincerity. With a shuddering breath, she wrapped her hand around Kagome's, and Kagome pulled, easily lifting the girl off of her feet.
Yuka voice quavered, bringing Ayumi out of her daze.
"Uh, guys? Where's the roof?" She lifted a carefully manicured finger to point at the sky over head.
Ayumi's mouth popped open once again, and a little oh escaped from her lips.
All at once it seemed to come back to her, what the red clad figure had said in the well house. He had picked Eri, Yuka and herself up like feathers, tossing them over his shoulder like it was normal. And then, that boy had the audacity to growl at them, and swear at Kagome! And then… Her mind flitted nervously around the fact that the boy had slammed full force into the ground without anyone even touching him. Yep, she was definitely going crazy.
Eri and Yuka had helped themselves up and were now standing next to Kagome, who was studying her nails in rapt attention.
"Well, first things first. Let's find a way outta this thing." Ayumi ignored the questions that floated around her head, demanding answers. The well was crowded with the four of them, and she only had to take a step to the right to find the vines that lead to the top of the well. Good thing none of them were claustrophobic.
She tugged on a vine, hope swelling in her chest when it didn't budge, seeming strudy enough to hold her weight. She turned around.
"These vines look strong enough to hold, so we'll just have to-"
She cut of mid-sentence as the blue light appeared once again. Eri and Yuka looked shocked, their mouths agape as they stared at the weird vortex. Ayumi took a step back, frightened.
If it was possible, the trio's mouths got even wider when the two timing bastard who threatened them appeared where Ayumi had stood just seconds ago.
The well was crowded now, and Kagome, unable to help herself, flushed at the close proximity that Inuyasha was at. If she leaned a little to the right, and then forward, her lips would-
"WhaaaaaAAAAT just happened?" The miko jumped at Yuka's outraged shriek. The five in the well fell silent. No one wanted to answer that question.
"Inuyasha, would you mind?" Kagome eyed her three friends and then jerked her chin to the top of the well. "I've got some things to explain."
Inuyasha didn't look happy about it but complied anyway. He made a face as he drew his arms tightly around two of the girls's waists – he couldn't tell which ones – and launched himself out of the well.
The experience was short but not one he wanted to repeat. Unlike Kagome, the girls squirmed and shrieked in his sensitive ears, causing him to wince and release them as soon as he touched ground. Growling, he returned for the other two.
…
"I wonder when Kagome's coming back?" Shippo mused to Kaede quietly. The old woman was fixing some herbs and medicines while he was splayed out on the floor, busying himself with the paper and crayons from the future. He moved the crayon back and forth, creating forms and shapes that were unrecognisable to anyone but him.
"Inuyasha said she would be back by sundown. You shouldn't have to wait much longer." Kaede glanced out the window of her hut, watching as the sun lowered itself toward the horizon. Sango and Miroku were outside, leaning against the fence, and they appeared to be in deep discussion. Sango suddenly laughed, throwing her head back flirtatiously at something Miroku said. Kaede shook her head, smiling to herself. When would the two lovebirds realize their deep feelings for each other?
As she was watching the two of them, Miroku suddenly turned in surprise, followed by Sango. They were moving toward the forest, obviously talking to someone.
"Shippo, I think Inuyasha may have returned with Kagome now, but before ye leave, may ye fetch me some herbs from the garden?" She asked the kitsune, smiling as he nodded sweetly.
"Hmh! I'll be quick, though; I want to see if Kagome brought me anything back from her time!" Shippo giggled and darted outside.
…
Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were overwhelmed.
That was the only word close enough to describe how they were feeling at the moment. They stood frozen, standing in front of some kind of village with huts and gardens and all this ancient looking stuff.
A nervous laugh bubbled from Yuka's mouth.
"Is this some kind of pay back for failing my history exam? Some kind of sick joke? Where are the camera's?" She made a show of ruffling the bushes and searching for a TV show crew.
Before Inuyasha's ears could twitch in annoyance or Kagome could roll her eyes, two very strange characters appeared from behind one of the… Uh… Huts.
Miroku, clad in his usual deep purple robes and staff, was utilising his free hand to familiarize itself with Sango's bottom. As expected, the monk received a hard slap across the face from the demon slayer who was, at the moment, dressed in her kimono. Miroku grinned sheepishly and shrugged as Sango fumed to herself.
"Welcome back, Kagome. I hope Inuyasha wasn't too difficult-" The monks voice died mid-speech as his eyes fell over the three beautiful girls that accompanied his friends.
He was quick to recover, though. Sango blinked as Miroku was suddenly a few feet away from her, clasping Eri's hand inside his own.
Eri gasped, then blushed and looked away, giggling. Miroku opened his mouth to speak when Kagome shoved at the tall monks shoulders.
"No! Don't even bother, Miroku!" Kagome growled, taking a handful of Miroku's robes and pushing them away. She put up with the monks hentai behaviour most of the time, but these were her friends. And unlike Sango, the petty girls from the future would no doubt fall for every word he said.
"Oh Kagome, jealous are we now?" He countered with a sly grin. "Don't worry, there's plenty more left of me to get at." He winked.
While Kagome crossed her arms, she couldn't stay mad at her friend for long. Sango looked hurt, Inuyasha slightly disturbed, and the girls looked… Well they looked star struck.
"Oh my god, is that staff real?"
"I love that color on you!"
"Your hair!"
"ENOUGH!" Sango yelled, irritated. The clearing quieted immediately.
"Kagome, who are these girls? They are dressed exactly like you…" She left the end of her phrase unfinished, wanting Kagome to deny what she knew was coming…
"I know. They're from the future."
…
Kagome sighed. It was now or never. As little as she wanted to tell her friends, they were here now, and they deserved to know what was going on, weather they liked it or not.
"I guess I should start with my fifteenth birthday, since that was really where this all began."
The three school girls and Inuyasha's gang, minus Shippo, had sat down on the grass on the outskirts of Edo, where Kaede's hut was still in view. Eri, Yuka and Ayame were pale and still, but had their rapt attention on Kagome, eager to hear her explanation.
"No, scratch that. It all started long, long ago. We're five hundred years in the past, in case you were wondering." She held her breath, waiting for their reaction. Fortunately, her friends just nodded slowly, encouraging her to continue.
"Well, about fifty-three years ago, in this time, which is five hundred and fifty-five years ago our time, there lived a very special priestess. Kikyo." She paused. "You've heard of the Shikon No Tama, haven't you?"
Eri nodded slowly. "We-we learned that in history. It's a super powerful jewel that can grant anyone their deepest desires, right?"
Kagome nodded grimly, thinking of how much destruction the sacred jewel had created along the years. "Yes. Well, Kikyo was the jewels protector. She dedicated her life to keep it out of the hands of evil, and she was the only one who could keep it purified. Once in the hands of evil, demon or human, the jewel would become tainted. That's where Inuyasha come in."
Kagome turned and gave Inuyasha a gentle smile. She knew it would stir up old memories to bring up Kikyo, Naraku and their betrayal. She prayed he would stay calm and indifferent when she told his story to her friends.
"Inuyasha is a hanyou. A hanyou is a mix between human and youkai, kind of like interracial people in our time. But there is a lot more prejudice against them here, and he was treated very badly by both races. Inuyasha wanted to steal the jewel from Kikyo to become a full demon."
She paused to let it sink in. The three girls in front of her looked incapable to speak, so she went on.
"But he wasn't able to steal it from her… Because they fell in love."
"Enough," Inuyasha barked roughly, startling them all. "They don't need to know this part."
"They do," Kagome protested. "That plays a major part in our story, and they deserve to know what's going on."
Inuyasha growled quietly before jumping high and settling himself on a branch in the Goshinboku.
Kagome was quiet for a couple seconds, feeling guilty for bringing it up, especially in front of him. But it was too late now.
"Keep going," Sango said softly.
"As Kikyo and Inuyasha fell deeper in love, Kikyo wanted Inuyasha to use the jewel to become human. It is said that only a true selfless wish would make the jewel disappear, and Kikyo believed that was it. Once Inuyasha was human, the jewel would disappear and they could live a normal life."
"But that's where Naraku comes in." She said, her voice taking on a grave tone. "Naraku is a hanyou too, and also wanted the jewel to become full demon. But unlike Inuyasha, who just wanted to be accepted, Naraku was power hungry and destructive."
"Naraku loved Kikyo too, in his own, twisted way. He was angry and jealous of the two, and… He did something unforgivable." Kagome's voice trailed off. As much as she disliked the priestess and the way Inuyasha felt about her, the tragic way that her life ended always left her sad and breathless.
"Well? What happened?" Yuka's asked after a few silent moments.
"Naraku… He's a very powerful half-demon. He shape shifted to look exactly like Inuyasha, and he went to see Kikyo."
After telling Kikyo that he was only with her to gain her trust and steal the jewel, he… He injured her gravely, but not enough so she would die instantly. Kikyo was just barely alive when she found Inuyasha… The real Inuyasha… And pierced his heart with an arrow right on the Goshinboku."
Kagome was now standing in front of the sacred tree, her hand hovering over the scar that would remain for centuries to come. Her three friends gaped at her.
"Kikyo sealed Inuyasha to the tree with a spell that only she could remove, a spell that had him in deep slumber for fifty years. No one thought he would be released since Kikyo died right after from her wounds inflicted by Naraku disguised as Inuyasha."
"When Kikyo died, she wanted the Shikon No Tama to be burned with her body so that it couldn't ruin any more lives. Five hundred years later… Well, I was born."
She turned to see her friend's reactions. The three obviously weren't putting the pieces together, confusion and disbelief coloring their faces.
"You want me to believe this is real? That he," Yuka jerked her head up angrily towards Inuyasha, "is half demon and we're five hundred years in the past? Why are you telling us this anyway?"
"Because she wants us to understand," Ayumi said softly, grabbing Yuka's arm. Her two friends looked at her, shocked.
"You believe her?" Eri squeaked, her face flushed.
"Yeah, I do. Why else do you think she's always absent from school? It's obvious she wasn't sick. I don't know why any of us hadn't noticed earlier." She said. Turning to Kagome, she nodded. "You weren't done your story. What does this have to do with you? And how we got here in the first place?"
Kagome smiled gratefully. "As you can see, this is the same tree as the one in my backyard. And the Bone Eaters well… That's the same one too. But that's beside the point… Truth is, I was born as Kikyo's reincarnation. And since the sacred jewel was burned with her body… it was reborn within mine."
The gang heard three collective gasps before she continued.
"On my fifteenth birthday, Mistress Centipede, a demon from this time, sensed the power of the jewel and dragged me down the well. We still don't know how exactly that happened… But I was just as confused as you and scared out of my wits, considering the demon was trying to kill me to get the jewel that I didn't even know was in my body."
By this time, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi were staring at Kagome with wide eyes. She sighed and continued.
"The people from the village were having a hard time fighting Mistress Centipede, and my presence, which was very similar to Kikyo's, woke Inuyasha from his slumber. He told me that if the villagers and I wanted to live that I'd better release him from the tree so he could defeat Mistress Centipede. I didn't realize how bad of an idea that was until after, though…"
They heard an accusing "Hey!" from above them.
"You did try to kill me, remember!" She shot back, ignoring the stares she got from her friends.
"Feh."
"Anyways, he did kill her, but then tried to make off with the jewel and kill me himself. He was obviously still bitter about the incident fifty years prior."
"Not long after, though, the jewel was snatched up by a bird demon, and, trying to get it back, I tried to shoot the bird with an arrow… Kikyo was a master archer, so I must have some talent in me, right? Boy, was I wrong." She ignored the snort she heard from above.
"I accidentally hit the jewel. Which then broke into Kami knows how many pieces, and flew all over Japan. So long story short, Inuyasha and I finally started to get along and searched for the jewel together. We eventually met Miroku," She pointed at the monk, "Sango, Kirara," She pointed at the demon slayer and her cat, "and Shippo, who are all helping us collect the jewel fragments before Naraku and defeat him." She drew in a deep breath.
"Where is Shippo, by the way?"
Not a moment before she finished the sentence, they heard a long, agonized wail coming from the direction of Edo.
"Kagomeeeeeeeeee!"
…
Phew, I'm done! That was a really difficult chapter to write for me, and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. And I know there was next to no action in it, but don't worry, you've got some coming.
I just hate in stories when it goes:
Kagome prepared to tell her friends her story,
And then:
A few hours later, the girls were in shock of the story they were told.
You just skipped the most important part! I wanted to see how it would play out, but it seems kinda long and boring to me. Still, I would rather hear Kagome tell her story to her friends and see their reactions then skip it. But now that that's out of the way, lots of excitement to come! PLEASE leave a review!
