Disclaimer: The InuYasha franchise and its characters all belong to mangaka Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: LAAAA! While taking care of some business in the bathroom, inspiration finally struck! Yay for Gothic fiction!

A HANYOU'S HEART

5. Lilium

"Leave me alone!"

Kagome had had just about enough of this.

The senior's long, ebony hair was matted and clung to her face and neck in stubborn rivulets. Her chest heaved as she panted desperately for breath, wobbling a little on her feet and being forced to steady herself against the nearest brick wall for support. Her face flushed and her heart racing, Kagome was finally able to open her eyes and look back down the alley way she had just come sprinting through.

No one was there.

No one.

Exasperated, she sunk to her knees and all but collapsed in a heap on the ground. Her head was pounding…

"Miss? Excuse me, miss?"

"Are you alright there, honey?"

She felt a gentle hand clasp her shoulder, but made no move to acknowledge it. She was so tired now that the initial panic and adrenaline had left her.

"Perhaps we should call for help…?" Another hand, firmer this time, was shaking her lightly.

Hearing that, Kagome forced her hazy mind to focus and slowly opened her eyes once more. She in turn met the concerned eyes of a stranger, an elderly woman with dimples either side of her mouth that became far more pronounced as her lips stretched into a relieved smile. She was dressed in a long, maroon skirt and white blouse. A cool, aged hand lifted to the girl's forehead. Kagome nearly sighed at the soothing touch, a curious, but not unpleasant feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, you don't have a temperature, but you're certainly exhausted. Would you like someone to run you home, dear? Anyone we can call?" The old woman's voice was warm in its tone, the sound almost as soothing as her touch. Kagome found she was very grateful.

"Th-Thank you, but I'm alright. Just wore myself out, I guess. I can make it home on my own."

The woman didn't look entirely convinced, in fact, her concern seemed to only grow. "You're sure? I would really rather someone saw you home…"

Kagome shook her head. "It's fine, really. I promise I'll be okay," she reassured the kindly lady. She was still tired, true, but she was feeling better by the minute. It was as if the woman's touch had all but chased her former anxiety away, and her legs, like dead weights before, were now rested. Had this woman somehow…?

The school girl shook her head again, using the wall to steady herself again as she began to stand.

'Impossible.'

Now the elder woman seemed convinced, and Kagome thought she caught the faint traces of a knowing glint in her eyes as she smiled again.

'Odd… for a moment there, I thought I… I thought I recognised her from somewhere,' Kagome thought once more, bemused. Standing now, she noticed for the first time that her act of supposed 'fainting' had attracted a whole array of curious onlookers who were murmuring amongst themselves. She blushed heavily, embarrassed at causing such a scene. 'I need to get out of here!'

Turning briskly, she meant to thank the kindly elder woman who had expressed such concern for her…

Only to find she was no longer there.

And, exactly where she had been standing, a flower now lay on the ground instead. A single, white lily.

'Huh?'

Dumbfounded, but deciding not to dwell too much on the curious flower, she whirled around to face the other direction in hopes of catching her walking up the street. She moved through the crowd of bustling people, quickly putting their minds at ease as best as she could when one or two of them asked if she needed a hand or escort to a clinic. "I'm fine!" she blurted.

After making it past the crowd, Kagome was disappointed when the elderly woman was no where in sight. She sighed. She didn't even know the name of…

And yet, that wasn't really what was bothering her. Kagome had felt a strange calm and safeness around that gentle person, and those were feelings she hadn't felt around anyone for a long time. Had she met the woman somewhere before? A friend of the family perhaps, or…?

And then, like before when she'd come bounding out of the alleyway, a sharp pain throbbed in Kagome's head. It stopped her clear in her tracks as she made her way home. She sighed, massaging her temple with her thumb and forefingers, waiting for the throbbing to stop. Just as it always did, eventually.

She had really had enough of this.

.:.:.:.

For the next few weeks, the old woman Kagome Higurashi had met had become yet another addition to her list of bizarre happenings. Not to mention that white lily that had been left where the woman was originally standing on the concrete. Kagome had gone back to that spot a little later the same evening, fortunately not foolish in her hopes that the flower would still be there. And it had been there, almost waiting in that exact spot. For her, maybe…?

Twirling said lily carefully in between her fingers as she sat at the wooden desk in her bedroom, Kagome took back that last thought. Lilies didn't wait for people. Silly girl. Yet, the bewildered school girl did feel it had been left for her, somehow. By the old woman or someone else, she didn't know, but it was important, that Kagome knew.

If only she knew why.

Rising from her desk and walking over to her bedside drawer, she placed the pretty flower gently against her alarm clock, deciding enough was enough mystery wise for one night. It was already 12:30am, and she had school tomorrow. Pulling back her pink duvet, Kagome climbed into bed, switched her lamp off and snuggled deep within the covers, sighing and closing her eyes. ]

Sleep now, she chanted her nightly mantra. Sleep, sleep, sleep. You have an important evaluation in biology tomorrow. Sleep.

An hour slowly dragged by.

And still, Kagome could not lull herself into slumber. Frustrated, she growled quietly and gritted her teeth, abruptly sitting up and shoving the duvet off of her.

This was getting so old.

"Kagome… I really miss you."

And there was that same wistful, masculine voice again.

She was sure she had merely dreamed the voice, that first night nearly three months ago now. The same night she could have sworn she saw a blue hue of light emanate from the well house.

Ever since, that voice had sounded again and again each night, at roughly about the same time. And, if Kagome looked out the window, she would see that same azure hue seeping slightly through the crack of the well house out on the shrine grounds - only faintly, and only for a short few seconds, but it was there. Dreams were out of the question now; Kagome was either actually seeing and hearing these things every night, or going absolutely mad. She was starting to fear the latter. Greatly.

It hadn't been so bad at first, a few slightly restless nights, the sad voice so faint she was sure it had only come from her foggy mind. But as the weeks passed, the voice, though only sounding once, had been growing louder and more pronounced each time. She couldn't believe it was her imagination anymore.

Kagome's restlessness had gotten worse, and she had been loosing far too much sleep over it. During the day she was cranky and often miserable from having been so tired. Her and her little brother quarrelled more often than before, and she'd all but lost her friends, Eri and Yuka at school who were becoming increasingly annoyed and miserable with her attitude at school. Frankly, she couldn't blame them. Only Ayumi hadn't given up on her, still greeting her with a smile and sometimes a hug each morning when they met at the gates. Ayumi was very kind, a little naïve at times but always acting with good intentions, and Kagome was eternally grateful towards her friend for that, making sure to keep a smile on her own face, however forced, when with her at school or in class.

The smile never lasted though. As soon as Ayumi was gone, she was all alone again. Other students had expressed some concern at how pale she had been looking in recent weeks, asking if she were feeling ill, finding senior year and the workload too stressful or…? "No, " she would tell them as politely as she could. "Thanks for asking, but I'm fine. Really." Most had stopped asking by now, but Houjo, ever thoughtful, considerate Houjo still persisted, offering her herbal remedies and other therapeutic devices to soothe her.

"No, that's alright Houjo. I'm fine, don't worry about me…"

A single, silent tear fell down Kagome's cheek as she sat in bed. "But I'm not fine!" She wanted to scream. "I'm not alright at all!"

Her mother had tried talking to her, hoping to reassure her daughter that all was okay and she was always there if her daughter needed to talk. Kagome felt more guilt well inside her. Mama Higurashi had been especially worried for her eldest's health and well being, and it was doing her no good either. The worried mother had called a doctor round a few times; even suggest some form of therapy if it would only help her little girl be happy and healthy again.

Of course, nothing worked, but not wanting to worry her mama any more, she'd put on a front again, like at school, reassuring her it was getting better. She wondered whether her mother believed her entirely at times, but at least the older woman seemed a little more relaxed and calm.

Kagome really hoped Saya, her best friend, would return from her school trip soon. She just needed to talk and get some of her troubles out in the open to someone who would listen but not offer astounding solutions or cures for 'sickness' like frozen frog legs or pumpkins or doctors. Saya would understand. Like with the old woman today, Kagome felt and awe of peace when she was around Saya, one she couldn't quite describe, but was all the more glad for.

It would be another week before Saya came home, though.

Deciding to try again, Kagome sunk back down under her covers and rolled onto her side. Unwanted thoughts kept coming. The voice, the blue light in the well house, the old woman, that red and blurred figure she no longer saw in only her mind's eye… like earlier that day, when she'd panicked and gotten scared after seeing a mix of red and white streak past in the air above her. She had run away without a second thought, hoping beyond all hope that the thing, or whatever it or he was would just leave her alone…

"Kagome… I really miss you."

She rolled back onto her other side to stare at the lily once more. Moonlight shone dimly through the gap in her curtains, the flower on her cabinet briefly illuminated in a near other worldly glow. For just a moment, she could have sworn the glow sparked pink…

And then, much like when the elder woman had placed her soothing hand on her forehead, Kagome felt her anxieties melt away. Every consuming, negative, frightened thought she had been feeling before disappeared from her mind, and she was suddenly very tired.

The moonlight disappeared, blanketing the room in darkness once more, its now sleeping inhabitant peacefully slumbering in a much needed rest.

.:.:.:.

500 years across time…

InuYasha was jerked rudely awake by something small and hard pelting him in the side.

"H-hey knock it – OW! CUT THAT THE HELL OUT!" He yelled when more stones still slung from somewhere below his perch in the Goshinbouku.

He kneeled on his haunches and leaned over the branch to look down; angrily searching the ground for whatever baka was daring to disrupt his nap. It was pitch black, night having long since settled in, but that was okay – his eyes could easily discern any hidden figures in the dark.

'Grrr, damn kitsune!'

"I can see ya Shippou – and Rin! What the hell are you two little pests doin' chucking rocks at me at this time? Aren't you s'pposed to be back in the village?"

The girl in question winced, wishing her and her fox friend had chosen another, perhaps more gentle method of arousing the already irate hanyou from his sleep, but Shippou, it seemed, wasn't phased by InuYasha's harsh response.

The young fox angrily puffed out his chest and clenched his tiny fists tightly. "Well it wasn't like you were gonna wake up any other way, baka! Come on – the well's glowing again!"

At that the hanyou's irritated stance seemed to stiffen, his ears erect and on high alert, his eyes widening. They began to shimmer ever so slightly, but were now curiously un-seeing. It was as if he were lost in his own little corner of thought… surprise… and hope?

Rin could only just make out InuYasha's silhouette in the moonlight, but from the way Shippou's illuminated emerald eyes became soft and worried, she knew something about the mood of her Lord's half-brother had changed drastically.

She took a small, tentative step forward.

"InuYasha-sama…?"

A sharp gust of wind suddenly sped past the two of them on the ground, and they knew that their friend had left his perch, and was likely speeding towards the well Shippou had spoken of…

InuYasha was no more than a speeding figure of silver as his long mane of hair seemed to radiate its own light in the shadow of the forest. He had to get to the well… and fast, before the glowing stopped.

It had happened every night since then – since that new moon night three months ago when he'd made a vow to begin living the life Kagome had built for him in the time she had spent by his side. He hadn't ever planned on forgetting her or his feelings for said miko, and the pain of being separated from her would never ease or cease – but he felt he owed to both her and his friends to begin appreciating what she had given him; a family, a home and absolute acceptance, things no one else had even dared to do for him.

And then, as soon as he had made that vow, the magic in the well had stirred… however slightly, however briefly. In fact, every night since then, a small, blue light would ever so shortly shine from the well before dimming once again. InuYasha knew exactly what this could mean – if the time portal between his and Kagome's world had somehow regenerated itself despite his wish… then he and Kagome could…

But of course, that wasn't the case, for every night, no matter whether he made it before the glow faded or not, the time slip would not open. And every night, each time the portal failed, a piece of his heart would die. Therefore, in more recent weeks, he had stopped jumping in when the well glowed its blue hue, merely choosing to watch stoically from a distance.

This night though, this night was different. Something about the well and its inexplicable magic had changed once more, and the hanyou had to be there to see.

After what seemed like a lifetime, InuYasha finally came to the meadow which housed the wooden structure. It stood , unchanging on that same lonely hill, as it would still stay even after 500 years had passed, and great stone buildings and roads with speeding metal 'demons' (that smelt foul and polluted) occupied the land. So much would change about the landscape he knew and loved, but not this well.

As he approached it slowly, he was disheartened yet again to see that the blue hue had disappeared. He stopped merely a step from the well, closed his amber eyes and gritted his teeth, hard, so much so that you could hear them mashing together. His clawed fingers curled back into fists and shook, a quite keening beginning in the back of his throat. His eyes stung, but he refused to let the cursed tears escape.

Crying was still for weaklings. And he wasn't weak.

Not at all…

A new smell suddenly assaulted his nose, though it was far from unpleasant. It knocked him straight out of his despaired stupor, and he looked down to locate the source of the distinctly floral scent.

'Huh? What the…?'

There, on the grass in front of the wooden well, lay a single, white lily.

.:.:.:.

A/N: Much longer than usual, I think? Hope that makes up a little for the long wait… Still, this has got to be a new record – it's been what, only a month since I last updated a story?

This chapter may seem very confusing, but rest assured – I know exactly where I'm going with this, I promise you. What's the deal with that flower, then…? Can't say yet, but if you're curious, think about what lilies themselves can symbolise, which is, kinda surprisingly, a lot, especially white ones. Purity, innocence, death, remembrance… XD

This chapter hasn't been edited yet – I just didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer, that's all. It will be soon, but until then, please excuse the errors that are bound to have popped up.

Lily – return to happiness