Into the Shadows
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part 2
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Kagome rested on the ground at the bottom of the well, not quite ready to climb out and possibly face her family. The salty tracks on her cheeks had dried, but her face was still red and puffy from crying. Her throat was likely bruised from the choking, and it was already sore to touch. She climbed the rope ladder to the top of the well but went no further, simply sitting on the wooden edge and staring back down into the darkness for several minutes. As much as she wanted a warm bath and a good sleep in her own bed, she also wanted to be alone at the moment.
For some reason she felt like it would be a mistake to leave the edge of the well and go to her home; her heart was telling her to go back to Inuyasha. Kagome shook her head, ridding herself of the strange feeling and left the wooden shed.
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The shower helped her feel marginally better, and luckily no one in her house had been awake so early in the morning. Kagome returned to her room, towel drying her hair, and flipped on her stereo. She shuffled through her discs, seeking something upbeat and fast. The sun was starting to rise, turning the sky into a rich blue-tinted gray. Being separated from the feudal era helped her step back and regroup her emotions, sorting them into the appropriate places again. Kagome was much calmer and successfully blocking out her memories of the night; she even swayed to the quick tempo of her music while brushing her hair. The bruises around her neck were stark against the pale skin of her reflection in the mirror, and she mentally came up with a story that would satisfy her mother when she asked about them.
Kagome knew that eventually she would have to consider the events with Kikyou and Inuyasha, but there was no reason to rush. She had no intention of returning to the well for at least a few days, hopefully through the passage of time dulling the pain in her heart in regards to what she had witnessed. The sun was starting to cast golden rays on the landscape, and the young woman braced her hip on the windowsill, just taking in the beautiful view. A small part of her mind insisted she was only feeling this well at the moment because she was in some sort of emotional shock. The songs rotated on the speakers, pulling up a sharp beat and clapping sound. She felt her heart speed up to match the music.
Open your eyes,
See all the love in me;
I've got enough for ever.
Don't be afraid;
Take all you need from me,
And we'll be good together…
The hairbrush clattered noisily to the floor, and Kagome dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks once more. It was all just too much for her, the love she had for Inuyasha felt like it was crushing her with its weight since she was bearing it alone. There was no room in his life for her love; he had plenty of emotional trouble with Kikyou. No matter how much it hurt and no matter how many times he returned to Kikyou to try to get what he needed, Kagome couldn't help but love him anyways. She had fled his era that night because while she was trapped hiding, watching Kikyou hug him, she believed that she had briefly hated the hanyou. Running was the only way she knew how to deal with that contradiction. In the cool light of the early morning though, Kagome knew exactly what it was that she hated, not Inuyasha, but she hated her own love for him. It wasn't his fault that she had fallen in love with her comrade, making everything more complicated for both of them.
It was all her fault, and yet she was taking it out on him. Her jealousy had no place, and she owed him so many apologies for it. Kagome could only imagine what Inuyasha must really be suffering, separated by death from the woman he really loved, followed around by a stupid girl who got mad at him just for having human emotions for his dead lover.
Suddenly Kagome couldn't wait any longer. She packed a bag and left the house long before anyone could know she had even been there, and she returned to the well. The song still beat inside her heart, driving her onward; she needed to apologize to Inuyasha immediately. She had all the love in the world to offer him, but it was his choice to take it or not. It was not her right to get angry at his decision. Her bruised heart felt strong enough again to beat for Inuyasha, even without the echo of his own heart for her. There were bigger things to worry about like pounding Naraku and keeping her friends safe; she felt she had wasted more than enough time feeling sorry for herself.
Kagome stared into the darkness of the well for a moment before jumping, letting her faint smile be engulfed by the shadows.
-tbc
