My Heart Will Go On

Chapter 6

Siblings

The next day, Kagome woke up in Inuyasha's comforting and warm embrace. She smiled, making no move to get out of his arms at first, but then eventually had to get up. She promised herself that she would visit Souta before noon today, and it was mid-morning already. She had never been one to sleep in late, except maybe on the weekends during school. She placed a gentle kiss to Inuyasha's forehead, and tensed when he grunted, but he slowly fell back asleep. She sighed in relief, then easily got out of his arms without waking him, and walked out of the hut, grabbing her yellow back pack on the way, making a mental note to buy some supplies before returning. They were running low.

She walked to Inuyasha's forest and looked at the Goshinboku for but a moment, smiling at seeing it's beauty, before approaching the old dry well. She looked down, staring into it's depths, before jumping in, holding her yellow back pack tightly to her shoulders as she did. Floating down to the bottom, she landed five hundred years into the future, her...home? No. The place where she was born, that was what this place is...it's nothing more to her now. All this place held were the horrible memories of hearing that her family had been killed...

Shaking her head, she didn't once glance at the destroyed shrine she had lived in for fifteen years, too afraid of crying if she did, and continued down the large flight of stairs. She walked on the streets silently, thinking to herself as she did. She made it to the hospital a few moments later, and walked inside. She walked towards the elevator and pressed the button to open it. It took about one minute or so before the elevator came down to her floor, and she stepped inside just as silently. Pressing the second button, she waited for it to take her up to Souta's floor. She was thankful no one else was in the elevator with her at the moment to see her sad expression. She walked out and into the rooom that was Souta's quietly, just in case he was sleeping, which he was, quite peacefully too. The covers were tucked up to his chin, and if he didn't have the IV stuck in his arm, he would look just like a small boy, sleeping without a care in the world.

Kagome took a seat beside her brother's bed quietly, so as not to wake him. The boy stirred a bit and she tensed, but sighed as he fell into sleep. She took his hand in hers, holding it gently. The young boy smiled a bit in his sleep, she couldn't help but smile as well. He looked so peaceful...

Now what were they to do? The feudal era was a dangerous place, no place for a young boy from the future, her brother no less. Just look at Kohaku...no, she wouldn't let her little brother suffer at the hands of that evil man. She would protect him, even if it meant sacrificing her life. Yes. They were siblings, and they were alone now, and such is the thing siblings do for one another, like Sango and Kohaku.

After a while, Souta finally stirred, and stared up at his sister. No words were spoken, but Kagome could tell that he had matured a lot after this experience, even if he had only been awake for a day since he had woken up. And Souta could tell that this had changed Kagome too. She was no longer the carefree person he once knew. Now, she thought of everything - put other people's needs before herself, and would always make sure that the people she cared for were safe and happy. She was also developing some sort of emotional mask, Souta noticed. He remembered Kagome along with his mother telling him multiple times that it wasn't good to keep things bottled up inside, but if that was what Kagome was doing, wouldn't that make her a hypocrite? At least, that's what he thought.

"It's not good to keep things bottled up, Kagome." he told her.

She blinked a few times, startled, staring down at him. Almost instantly, the mask seemed to have disappear, her emotions open to the world...well, to him at least. He saw a few tears fall out of her eyes and frowned. Where would they live now? he thought. He refused to be taken to one of those orphanages... to him, they just didn't belong there. And they would tearing his sister away from that other world...and Inuyasha, whom he only knew would just come back here to drag her back with him.

"Sis?"

Kagome looked down at her brother, wiping her teary eyes. "Yes, Souta?"

"Where are we gonna live now?"

Kagome had to manage a small smile at this, and looked down at him. "With Inuyasha."

At hearing this, Souta's eyes instantly lit up. "Are you serious!? In his era?"

"Um hum," Kagome replied with a nod of her head, her smile growing. "Inuyasha said it would be okay, and he wouldn't let us go away that easily."

Souta had to laugh at that, she was right.

"When will I get outta here? I wanna go!" Souta whined, making Kagome chuckle, and she leaned in, ruffling his hair, causing him to scowl up at her. "Hey!"

Kagome laughed again. "...let me go check and see when you'll be released," she told him, letting go of his hand and walking out of the room. She walked over to the nurses desk that was on this floor and looked to the woman in the front seat, who stared up at her.

"How may I help you, miss?"

"Can you tell me please, when my little brother, Souta Higurashi, will be able to leave?"

The nurse nodded and began rummaging through her papers, and after a while, with Kagome tapping her foot impatiently on the floor, looked back up to her.

"He should be able to leave in two or three days, once the doctor gives the okay," she told her. "His injuries have mostly healed, he just needs some more tests done to make sure he's okay before we let him leave."

Kagome nodded her head in thanks and walked back into Souta's room, who was sitting up in the bed, his eyes alight with excitement, that Kagome couldn't help but laugh at.

"Two or three days," Kagome told him, and couldn't help but smile more at his pout.

"But I wanna go NOW!!!"

Kagome chuckled and walked over to his bed, sitting down next to it once more. "You'll just have to wait, Souta."

"Where do you go when you leave?" he asked her curiously. "To Inuyasha's time?" When she nodded, he pouted more.

"That's not fair!"

Kagome laughed again, it seemed things were normal between the two siblings once more, well, as normal as things could get with their situation.

A woman watched the two siblings with sad, yet happy eyes. Her body was transparent, and she floate in front of the room's window without them even noticing she was there.

My children, do not cry for us, she told them softly as she saw them laughing and having a good time, despite what they would be going through soon. Be happy... and live long lives. Kagome, spend as much time with Inuyasha as you possibly can, and enjoy it. A human's life is short-lived, no matter how much we would want to be with the ones we love and cherish forever. Souta...look after your sister and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. Though with the others around her, I am sure she will be well protected.

Kagome looked up when she sensed a presence near, and Souta looked over at her. "Is something wrong, sis?" he asked her, looking at her curiously. He saw her gaze drift over to the window, and let out a startled gasp. Souta's eyes followed hers, but saw nothing.

"What is it Kagome?" he asked, pouting because he couldn't see what she saw. When he heard the word that she said next, he went completely still.

"M-Mom..."

He looked towards the window again, but still saw nothing. Was it because that Kagome was a priestess she was able to see spirits too? Kagome got up from her chair and walked slowly over to the window. Their mother glided over closer as well.

Mother and daughter stared at each other for a few moments in silence, tears flowing from the other's eyes. Though the deceased woman was unable to say anything to her children, she managed a faint smile and a nod, reaching out a ghostly hand to touch at her only daughter's cheek.

Be safe. Be safe, and happy.


TBC

A/N: I thought that was a good place to stop. I would've gone on longer but didn't feel the need to really. Oh, and I had a new plot twist in mind, but I have a question, do any of you mind yaoi (guy x guy)? If so, I won't do it. But since Souta was going to be going to live with them, I wanted him to have a love interest of some sort. And the only ones of age their for him really are Souta and Kohaku (I have a way for the second one to work). If you don't want that, I can always make him fall for Rin or something. That'd be cute. Let me kno please! Oh, I'm glad people still read author's notes. From reading some of the reviews for last chapter, I was able to tell. ;)