Chapter 14: Haunting Past
The big dinner banquet was only a day away and Kagome found herself spending a lot of time at her mother's. She insisted that she wanted to help with house chores after work, seeing how winter was coming fast, there was a lot to do, plus Kagome found herself too tired to stay awake when she got home. For some reason, she just could look Hojo in the eye.
The night she got home with the flowers, Hojo acted as if she had never even left. He sat at his desk as Kagome watched tv and she caught him staring at her over his computer several times. When she asked if he wanted to talk, he just insisted it would have to wait. And from that point on, they spent their time together in silence and that's how the rest of the week was spent. Kagome coming home, watching a half-hour of tv and going to bed while Hojo busied himself with paper work.
"Beautiful fall day, wouldn't you say?" Grandfather's voice caught Kagome off guard, causing her to jump and squeak a little. "Woa, I didn't mean to scare you. Ha, I remember when there was a time I couldn't scare a flea."
"Yea, I bet prehistoric fleas were scarier in your time, though." Kagome teased.
"And I remember a time when you weren't such a smart ass. Oh, wait, maybe there wasn't such a time." Grandfather teased back. Kagome, not one to admit defeat, replied by sticking her tongue out at her grandfather.
"So did you need something?" Kagome asked.
"No, not really. Just wanted to pester my favorite granddaughter." He smiled warmly. "Not to mention, I was cleaning out the old shed and found something kinda interesting that I thought I'd show you." He motioned for Kagome to follow him behind the house, and to the old shed.
"So what did you want to show me?" Kagome asked as she clicked on the light. She sighed at the site of the old place. Remembering how it was practically destroyed by a demon mask all those years ago, when she first started traveling with Inuyasha.
"Right over here." Grandfather said as he bent down and picked up a charred metal box. It looked so old, yet so familiar. It almost resembled the lock box she gave Inuyasha when she first left the feudal era. "Look here, it's faint and child-like, but it's got your name on it."
Kagome leaned in and inspected the box. Sure enough, it had her name on it. "Weird. Where did you find this?" She asked.
"I was planning on ripping this thing down and building a new one and while cleaning up, I saw something in the dirt. The top was pretty burned, but it was sparred from the fire because it had been buried for god knows how many years. I was going to open it right away, to see if the contents inside gave away how old it is and why it's here, but when I found your name on it, I thought maybe it really is meant for you and you should open it." Grandfather said as he handed Kagome the box.
Kagome held the cold metal box and studied it. It did look a lot like her lock box, but this one was far more primitive. It latched shut in much the same manner as a child's lunch box and tool markings were very visible on the metal. It was definitely hand made and her name looked like it was scratched right in by who knows what. "Thank you. I think I'll bring it up to my old room to open it. I'll let you know what's inside no matter what." Kagome said softly. Without another word, she turned and left the shed, clutching the box to her chest, her mind a jumble of questions.
Kagome closed the door to her room and sat on her bed. Again, she inspected the box, almost afraid of what might be on the inside. She gulped hard and with her heart in her throat, she opened the box and smiled. It was paper and crayons, they were a little soiled, but still well preserved. 'Shippo', her mind thought sadly. She started picking through the paper and found a bunch of drawings and a couple of notes. With a heavy heart, she read the first note on top.
'I hope you get this, Kagome. I wanted to send you something special, in hopes that this helps you. To let you know what's going on, it's been almost five years since you and Aiko left us. Inuyasha's taken it pretty hard. All he ever thinks about is you. I swear, I thought he was going to die when you never returned from the well. Sango and Miroku where devastated when Aiko died, but when you didn't return, they were torn. I'll admit, I haven't taken it well myself. I still cry when I find myself alone at night. Inuyasha says I'm getting bigger all the time, I wish you could see me, I bet I'm almost as tall as you, if not taller. Miroku thinks so too.
I'm draw a lot when I'm alone some days and I wanted to share them with you. It started with the first one I did. It was a beautiful summer day and Inuyasha fell asleep in the god tree and you know what? It started raining blossoms. I don't know if I've ever seen blossoms. I wish you were here to see the pretty pink flowers and petals falling. Inuyasha was covered from head to foot in petals and flowers. I admit I laughed when a big pink flower landed right on top of his head and slipped behind his twitching ear and got stuck in his hair. I even think I heard him say your name when a petal landed on his nose, but that didn't stick. Also, I think that was the best sleep he's ever had since Aiko died and you left. I hope this picture makes it to your time since you weren't here to see it yourself.
Love,
Shippo'
Kagome smiled and even giggled when she found the picture mentioned in the letter. Sure enough it was a detailed picture of Inuyasha on the limb of the sacred tree, covered in sakura blossoms and petals. He looked peaceful even in the picture. Shippo's art sure improved over time. Kagome wished she could tell him how proud she was of him. Kagome giggled again when she remembered the promise she made to her grandfather and took only the picture downstairs.
"Grandpa!" Kagome called outside and heard her grandfather reply from behind the house. Sure enough, Kagome found him working on the shed. "You know, you really should be careful at your age when it comes to construction and heavy lifting. Do you know how many seniors come through the hospital because they think their body's can handle more than they actually can?" Kagome scolded.
"I'll worry about that when I'm dead. So what did you want?" He asked.
Kagome smiled sweetly, holding the drawing behind her back and said, "I opened that box and found that it is indeed from the feudal era. My little friend Shippo wrote me a bunch of letters and drew me pictures, here's one of them". Kagome gave her grandfather the paper and as he looked over it, Kagome exclaimed, "does he still remind you of the ruthless demon you once thought he was?".
Kagome's grandfather laughed at the sight. "Shippo looks like he's quite the artist, what do you think of the drawing?" He inquired.
"I think it's wonderful! I wish I could tell Shippo how great I think his art is and how proud of him I am." Kagome smiled sadly as she watched her grandfather inspect the art.
"I'm sure he knows. Trust me." Her grandfather said with a reassuring smile of his own.
"Thanks, gramps. :sigh: I should be getting back home, I guess. The big dinner is tomorrow and I still have yet to pick out a dress. Oh, tell everyone we'll be here at seven o' clock sharp in the limo to pick you guys up." Kagome said.
"Ok, hun. Just be safe, ok?" Her grandfather said with sincere worry in his voice.
"Sure, gramps. Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked, catching the tone in his voice.
"No, I just worry about you getting hurt, that's all." He said with a smile. "After all, you're my favorite granddaughter."
Kagome laughed and replied with "I'm your only granddaughter".
"Exactly. That's why I worry." He smiled and shooed her off.
Back at home, Kagome was surprised to find Hojo actually away from his computer and on the couch watching some tv for once. When she walked in the door, he turned and smiled at her and greeted her with "Hey, Kag. Welcome back. Did you have a good day with your family?".
"It was an unusually extremely pleasant day. How was your day?" Kagome asked.
"Nerve racking. But I got to come home early to prepare for tomorrow nights' banquet. I'm finished with my speech, so I thought I'd relax tonight. Care to join me?" He asked as he patted an empty spot on the couch, right next to him.
"I'd love to! I'm exhausted." She exclaimed and flopped down on the couch next to Hojo, allowing him to throw his arm around her shoulder.
"Hmm, this is nice. Finally able to be alone together." Hojo said as he nestled his head in her hair. "Have I ever told you that your hair smells of sakura blossoms? I think it's wonderful"
"Thank you." Kagome said as sweetly as she could muster. Hojo's comment made her heart leap up into her chest. Not just because he was complementing her, but also because of something in Shippo's letter. He mentioned Inuyasha saying her name in his sleep when a petal landed on his nose.
He must miss her terribly. She knew that he'd miss her as much as she did him if not more. She guessed he never found another female to make him happy the way she found Hojo. She felt a twinge on guilt rise in her chest. All these years she had given him up for dead and moved on when the reality was he was still alive and probably miserable without her. She wondered if he went day by day, holding on to what little hope there was that they'd find each other again. That one simple idea keeping him moving on throughout the years. 'I wish there was some way of telling Inuyasha to move on with his life and forget about me. I wonder...'
"Hojo, I'm sorry, dear, but I just remembered I have some things my grandfather wanted me to look over for him. Some artifacts that he wants my opinion on." Kagome excused herself, earning a defeated whimper from Hojo. She picked up the bags she left by the door and made her way to their room and sat on her bed.
Kagome scanned the room briefly. Her bed was closest to the window and Hojo's bed was near the door with a small night stand separating the two twin beds. With the exception of pictures of family around the room, the place was pretty bare. Kagome sighed and went digging into her bag and pulled out the metal box and started digging through the notes, hoping to find some clue that Inuyasha was able to move on.
'Kagome, I'm worried about Inuyasha. He's been injured but insists it's nothing, but I'm afraid it's more than he's letting on. Last week some foreigners came through the village with new weapons called 'rifles'. They're pretty damaging and Inuyasha had been mistaken as a threatening demon and they shot him without question. One bullet nicked his ear and another through his left arm. What has me worried is the fact that they're not healing. I wish you could be here to tell him to stop being so stubborn and get some help. I've tried to tell him, but he won't listen. What kinda scares me is the fact that humans have made weapons that inflict such damage that not even demons can heal from. So the past couple of days, Inuyasha's spent most of his time in that tree, sulking and licking his wounds.
He's grown up you know. Inuyasha acts as if he's an old man, worrying all the time and all. It's almost weird, seeing him so different. Miroku says Inuyasha's had his fill of life's hardships and has been deeply affected by what he's experienced. I think Miroku's right.
Well, I'm putting my thoughts away for now and who know's when I might take them out again. Until then, goodbye, Kagome.
Love,
Shippo'
'Oh, Shippo. I'm so sorry. I bet Inuyasha's just been heartbroken.' Kagome thought sadly. Then she noticed something. She scanned through the letter again and noticed Shippo didn't mention Miroku a whole lot and he didn't even speak of Sango. 'Is there something you're not telling me, Shippo?' Kagome wondered.
Kagome sighed heavily and laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her mind swam with emotions, questions and guilt. She felt guilty for having moved on with her life so easily while Inuyasha wasn't allowed such comforts. She tried imagining Inuyasha finding a nice girl that he would be content spending his life with. Kagome highly doubted that, but still couldn't feel a bit jealous at the thought of another girl with him, even though Kagome was in a relationship herself. Oh, well, Kagome had always been jealous over Inuyasha anyway. Typical female, always wanting what you can't keep.
After a while, Kagome fell asleep with her 'artifacts' in her lap and as night fell, Hojo went back to the room to find Kagome deep in the arms of Morpheus. He smiled and gently shook her, calling her name.
"Inu-..." She muttered and rolled over.
"Kagome, you awake?" Hojo asked as his shaking became a little more aggressive. Kagome sometimes had violent tendencies in her sleep and Hojo had almost become fearful for his life when he had to wake Kagome from a fitful sleep. He watched her for a moment, hoping she wasn't going to start flailing and when she didn't, he shook her some more. "Come on Kag, Dinner's ready and it's going to get cold."
At the mention of food, Kagome became conscious again and looked up at Hojo with questioning eyes. When she realized that her artifacts were still in her lap and piled on the bed, she snapped bolt upright and started straightening up the papers and eagerly put them away. She just didn't want Hojo seeing them and raising questions she had no intention to answer.
"Ha, this is some good art. I like this picture, very vivid. Where and when is this from?" Hojo asked, holding up the first picture Kagome had come across that day. The picture of Inuyasha in the God tree, covered in sakura blossoms and petals.
"We know it's from the feudal era and it's almost symbolic. So far it's my favorite." Kagome said in a 'official' tone of voice, trying not to give away any emotional value to the contents of the picture.
"It is beautiful. The artist must have put a lot of emotion to it. Look, you can almost see the twirling path of the sakura blossoms as they fell." Hojo said as he inspected the picture. He handed it to Kagome to put away and as she glanced at it, Hojo could swear he saw that rare, faraway look in her eyes that glittered of happy memories. "You know, it's so nice, I think we should have it sealed and framed, that way you can hang it on the wall and we can look at it when ever we want without having to worry about ruining it. How's that sound?"
Kagome looked up at him, she was surprised that he could look right through her and read her mind. She smiled brightly and threw her arms around Hojo's neck. "Thank you. That would make me happier than I've been in a long time." Kagome exclaimed.
"Saturday we'll get that done then, that way we have the banquet out of our way. Also, did you tell your family we'll be picking them up around seven tomorrow evening?" Hojo asked.
"Sure did, they'll be ready and waiting." Kagome replied.
"Great, I can't wait. Come on, dear, dinner will be cold soon." Hojo said as he led Kagome to the dining table where he had prepared ramen for them.
Kagome regarded the dinner with a smile and instantly thought of how much Inuyasha loved ramen. If he had it home made, he would have thought he had died and gone to heaven. Kagome couldn't help but let a giggle slip through at the look on Inuyasha's face the first time he tried home made ramen.
"Something funny?" Hojo asked.
"No, not really, nothing you'd understand anyway." Kagome said.
"Oh, one of those 'it's only funny if you were there' deals?" Hojo asked.
"You might say that." Kagome replied.
They continued talking throughout the rest of their meal about Kagome's family, Hojo's studies and of course the big banquet dinner that was coming up the next night. Kagome was very happy for Hojo, he was living the life he dreamed of, helping people and advancing medicines as well. Hojo talked about his lab results. He explained to Kagome that one of their lab rats was showing astonishing improvement over the other rats receiving regular treatment. "It'll be an end to cancer treatment as we know it." He exclaimed at one point.
When dinner was over, the two did their usual routine and went their separate ways for the night. Kagome was happy at least that they were allowed at least some time together as a normal couple, but he went to double check everything was ready for the next night and Kagome slipped off to bed, anticipating the excitement the next night was sure to bring.
..:End of Chappy:..
A/N Yay me! I finally finished this chapter. I wanted to have posted it sooner but due to a huge storm and power loss, I lost most of my work. But that's ok, I didn't loose that much, still enough to be a pain in the butt! Oh and I got to see my first big tornado, well not that big, it was an F2 maybe F3, but it was still pretty freakin' cool! Then because of down power lines, a cop blocking our normal ride home told us to take the back ways if we knew them. So we got to go off-roading in my car through water deep enough to reach the door handles of my 04 dodge intrepid, seriously, my boyfriend rolled down the window and stuck his arm out and was playing in the water, splashing the rest of us inside! And the mud we went through was a different story. I think if that cop knew what we drove through, he'd have to arrest us for pure insanity! Seriously, there is no explaining why I didn't get stuck, guess it was my slick driving skills, ne?
Any way, enough about me, I want to thank you guys who've reviewed! I feel extremely loved right about now. This story officially has more reviews than any of my other stories! We'll see what's to come when I finish my fic, Sacrificing Humanity for Life. But thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't say it enough. Any way, till next time!
Ja Ne!
-Sunny