I do not own Inuyasha and Co., nor do I make any money out of this. The idea for the plot used here, however, is solely mine.

- sunkissedemerald.

Truth

By sunkissedemerald

Chapter 2

Unspoken Questions

The rush of blood, the genteel brushes of magic, and the warmth pervading her senses – Kagome closed her eyes and savored the many sensations coursing through her body as she broke through the barriers of time.

An ephemeral moment – it felt as if time stood still.

All too soon it was over, and Kagome found herself looking up to grey skies – not the usual clear, blue skies of Sengoku Jidai.

The air about the well smelled of the moist brown earth and fresh water.

Kagome grunted as she hefted the yellow, overused pack over her shoulder.

I'll develop scoliosis at this rate. Or even worse, osteoporosis.

Where was Inuyasha when her spine needed saving from the yellow monstrosity?

With a final heave, she clambered up from the well. Kagome felt goose bumps rise as the cold wind touched her skin.

It was a cloudless, drab day.

Kagome couldn't help but notice how quiet the forest was as she made her way to her Kaede-baachan's hut. No one was outside – the children who usually played out on the paths, the women tidying up the yard, the men who farmed.

What's with everyone? Where's everybody?

Kagome shivered. She just couldn't shake the cold feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.

Soon, her hurried steps brought the old hut into view, aglow with the cracking warmth in the hearth.

"Hey! Kagome!"

"I-inuyasha – it's you."

"Well, wench, were you expecting someone else?"

Kagome found herself at a loss. A sense of relief rose in her chest, and a she slowly expelled a breath she had been unconsciously holding but a few moments ago. As the rush of adrenaline faded, she found herself suddenly feeling drained.

"N-no."

"Oi – Kagome – you okay?"

"I – I… Where's Shippou?"

For a moment, an unnamed emotion flickered in Inuyasha's eyes.

"Shippou…"

"… is with Miroku and Sango."

And Kagome couldn' t find it in her heart to say anything else.

It felt weird to Kagome – the way they were standing, facing each other, saying nothing. To an outsider, a stare contest seemed to ensue, and none were faring any better than the other.

"K-kaede- baachan!"

And in a moment, all the tension, the unanswered questions, the unspoken answers, the whispered feeling of trepidation – all of it vanished.

Kagome scurried to the hut, leaving the bright-eyed hanyou staring still after her.