Chapter Eleven
The Well.
Inuyasha's grip on her waist was so tight it was almost painful, and the dark depths of the well made her want Inuyasha to hold her tighter. They stood on the lip of the well and she could hear Inuyasha's even breathing and could feel his rigid frame against her own.
She carried her old, yellow backpack hoping that the aged fabric would help explain things and she held an fretting Mamoru, his bushy black eyebrows were furrowed and his gold eyes were moving from her to Inuyasha, probably trying to figure out what was happening she guessed.
She could feel their audiences' eyes on them and she turned her head to see Kohana standing in the middle of Kasumi and Satoru both of her children holding her hand tightly in theirs, they were waiting anxiously to see if the trio would be able to pass through, waiting to see if they would be able to witness one of the magical events that they had heard as children.
Kagome saw movement far behind the siblings and their mother and saw Aiko in the shade of the trees watching as well. Kagome smiled and Aiko returned it slowly, but it did not reach the young woman's eyes much to Kagome's disappointment.
She looked up at Inuyasha and found him staring into the depths of the well where Shippo was waiting and she nudged his side with her elbow, and gave him a reassuring smile as he turned his head to look at her. He was nervous and so was she, but they wanted to be strong for the other and he gave her a small smirk.
"Ready?" He asked.
She nodded and she felt the slightest of pressure on her waist and she felt her feet leave the edge of the well and then they were falling.
She held her breath as she saw Shippo raise his hands as if to catch Mamoru and in response Kagome pulled him closer to her chest and closed her eyes and turned farther into Inuyasha as if shielding Mamoru from time. All she could see was the wood and then the dirt and vines of the well.
They were not going to be able to go through the well.
The well would not let them pass and she felt the dread spread throughout her system as she crumbled into Inuyasha. Waiting to feel the ground beneath her feet and when she would look up there would be the open feudal blue sky and not the wood roof over her head.
She felt Inuyasha's hands tighten around her waist as she saw a streak of blue over his shoulder and then another. A sob of relief escaped her mouth as she felt Mamoru move in her arms, she leaned heavily against Inuyasha and felt him let the breath he had been holding as they crossed through time.
The intense rush of relief felt like she was under a waterfall, and she smiled into the red fabric as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. The Well was letting them pass through.
A moment later she felt solid ground under her feet and she tightened her hold on Mamoru and Inuyasha as if trying to balance herself. She raised her head and saw the shrine roof over their heads and then looked at Inuyasha, his ears twitching and his nose working hurriedly sampling the air and sounds.
She wanted to ask if he could hear Mama, Souta, Grandpa or anyone, but she bit her tongue too scared to ask.
She felt Inuyasha move to jump out of the well and they were in the air then they gently landed.
"I'll wait here." Inuyasha said, "Until… you know."
He did not finish his sentence and she licked her lips as turned her attention to the steps out of the shrine and then back to Inuyasha as she stood on her tip toes to press her lips against his for a moment to reassure him and herself.
He raised his arms to take Mamoru, but before he did his hand reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear; she gave him a shaky smile.
The absence of Mamoru's warmth startled her for a moment and she breathed deeply to control herself.
She turned and slowly made her way up the wooden steps of the shrine. What if the future had passed like it had in the feudal era or if only a few days maybe months had passed perhaps a few years, she prayed for the second option.
She stopped inches away from the wood doors, they were parted slightly and a thin stream line of sunshine pushed past the dust and onto her face. She heard the chimes on the trees, she heard the birds maybe a few cicadas, she could see tree limbs sway softly.
Small fingers touched the wood and slowly Kagome pushed aside one of the wooden doors and the light breeze enter the shrine. Her eyes scrunched up from the sudden burst of sunlight and as she adjusted she saw one of the buildings the connected to the main part of the shrine and stepped out onto the pavement. She saw the few trees located around the shrine, and turned her head to see the steps leading out of the Higurashi Shrine. She swallowed harshly and then slid the door closed behind her.
She stepped farther out to the center of the pavement and the butterflies of anxiety made her sick to her stomach as she slowly made her way to where her house stood.
She caught herself nearly running to the home she had grown in and slowed her pace; she did not want to get her hopes up if nothing and no one were there.
The house came into view as she turned a corner and her stomach was in knots. She swallowed as she quickened her pace to the door that she remembered running out of when going to school or to her friends in the feudal era.
She remembered Mama, she remembered her being kind and caring and understanding and everything else was a blurry haze, glimpses of her cooking came to mind and she remembered helping her mother cook.
She remembered big black eyes smiling at her, she remembered her brother, remembered he admired Inuyasha greatly, she couldn't remember how old he was the last time she went through the well.
An old, wrinkled face appeared in her mind next, she remembered her Grandpa, his crazy antics and his never ending lectures about ancestry or history.
It took her a moment to realize that she was standing in front of the house, the door right in front of her face. She would know if her family died, or if nothing changed. The knowledge left her sick to the stomach with dread and hope mixing together.
She raised her hand and gently knocked on the sliding screen door then let her hand slide back down her side.
It was moments until she heard someone moving on the inside of the house and then heard a murmur and then hushed tones, the tension rose and Kagome held her breath.
The screen door slid open and a quiet gasp escaped Kagome's lips.
"Sister?"
A young man was standing in front of her, he was slightly taller than she was, his bangs were going every which way and his big black eyes were staring unbelieving at her, his high school uniform was crisp and clean.
Time had been kind to her. The goddess had given her both of her families. She was so very, very lucky. She closed her eyes as sent up a gracious prayer and then opened them to look at her brother's grown face and smiled as tears leaked from her eyes.