.Chapter Three
…
Kagome sat at the bottom of the cold dark well, absolutely confused as to what she should do next. For some reason, she hadn't been able to travel back to the feudal era as she normally would. This was certainly strange. She didn't carry any of the sacred jewel shards on her person. She didn't have to. She'd discovered a few months ago that she was able to travel back and forth through the well without them, and so could Inuyasha. Since then, whenever she went back home, she'd leave the shards with her friends. It couldn't be that, so what else?
Kagome climbed the ladder back to the top and sat on the rim, peering down into the darkness. 'That's really weird…the only other time I haven't been able to pass through the well is when Inuyasha blocked it off that one time.' Kagome's mind drifted off back to that day when Inuyasha trapped her in her time by forcing a tree down the well.
'So that must be it then. Something must be stuck in the well preventing me from getting back to the feudal era. But what could it be? Inuyasha couldn't have been that mad that he seal off the well again right?'Kagome shook her head.
'No, of course not. That can't be right. We've gotten into worst arguments than this before. He wouldn't do that. And besides, we've still got a lot more jewel shards to find, so then there has to be something else going on here.'She was tempted to try jumping in one last time but it was clear to her that there was nothing else she could do about the situation. She turned and made her way to the doors of the shrine. 'Well whatever is going on with the well in Inuyasha's time, I'm sure when he notices that I haven't come back yet, he'll come over to get me. He always does. Maybe then he'll figure out what's going on.'
"Can't travel back in time through the well you say?" Kagome's entire family looked at her with wide eyes at what she was saying to them across the dinner table. Kagome's grandfather cleared his throat before continuing, "Well this is certainly something Kagome. Could it be that the well has lost its abilities?" He looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Ugh so that means I'm gonna have to deal with Kagome's hogging the bathroom in the mornings again? No way!" Souta whined. He folded his arms with a pout.
"Hey, I may have to spend a lot of time in the feudal era but don't forget that I still live here you little brat. I can stay here as long as I want to" 'Not like I have a choice now anyways.' Kagome added mentally. Grandpa spoke again.
"Kagome, what exactly do you think could've happened to the well? Did something seem strange about it before you came home?"
"No, it seemed perfectly fine when I jumped in. I'm not sure what could've happened. All I know is that there must be something very wrong on the other side of the well. Whatever it is, I'm sure Inuyasha and the others will figure it out…" 'Until then, I guess there's not much else to do but to stay here and catch up on some school work…'
…
Inuyasha's fists collided with the trunk of an oak tree sending numerous splinters of its bark flying in random directions. He removed his fist to reveal a deep indent in the tree trunk. His face was contorted into a vicious scowl revealing a clear view of his sharp fangs. A deep growl resounded from within his throat as he turned his attention to another tree beside it.
"DAMNIT KAGOME TWO WEEKS IS LONG ENOUGH!" the hanyou roared out to no one in particular. Inuyasha had been forced to wait in Kaede's village while Kagome returned to her time and he wasn't coping with the long wait quite well at all.
He knew he should've gone back for her days ago but no, Sango and Miroku had managed to talk him down, telling him that he should give Kagome her space and that she'd probably be even angrier if he came to her time to argue with her about it. Well look at where sitting around waiting on Kagome had gotten them now. She'd been taking her own sweet time as usual, he got bored out of his mind and worst of all, they lost precious jewel hunting time. Just his luck. Miroku, Sango and Shippo had taken an afternoon stroll through the forest while gathering some medicinal herbs for Kaede when they had taken notice of their hanyou friend venting his frustration.
"Boy, what a psycho that guy is. Those poor trees. Could he really be missing Kagome that much?" Shippo spoke as they watched Inuyasha's destructive tirade from a spot where they were sure he wouldn't notice them.
Sango sighed. "Maybe. But Kagome usually isn't gone this long either. It's just not like her and I have to say, I'm getting bit worried."
Miroku shrugged. "Inuyasha will get over himself eventually when Kagome decides to return. Whatever the case, I'm enjoying the little time off from traveling" They all agreed and leisurely went about their day.
…
Three months later..
Kagome sat utterly bored and on the brink of keeling over in the classroom as her teacher dragged the lesson on and on for what seemed like an eternity. She stared blankly down at the text book in front of her and her mind couldn't help wandering far beyond the classroom. Her mind wandered back about 500 years in the past and focused on a certain silver haired hanyou.
It had been about three months and he still hadn't come back to get her. But why? For the millionth time, Kagome's mind went over all the possible reasons her hanyou still hadn't showed up. She knew for sure he needed her to find the rest of the jewel shards…'Jewel shards…is that the only reason Inuyasha would come to look for me?' Or what if they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the well and she was stuck here forever? She'd never see Sango, Miroku, or Shippo again. She'd never see Inuyasha again. Kagome mentally slapped herself. She couldn't start thinking like that; she needed to have faith that her friends would figure this out. She visited the well nearly every day, hoping that somehow she would be able to pass through. But by the way things were looking, she couldn't help but feel discouraged.
Her mind began to drift elsewhere. She'd been living in her own era for a few months now but somehow, the more time she spent in her era, the more detached she felt from everything around her. Even though this was her life, her home, she still felt out of place, like she didn't completely fit into the picture. Kagome knew that she would always love her family and her friends here but it became clear to her that they made up only one small part of her life. Things had changed. The mundane lifestyle of the modern age just couldn't compare to the adventures she had in the feudal era. She had met Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, travelled with them and faced countless demons together.
They represented a major part of her life now and so she couldn't help but feel a sort of emptiness inside her when they were absent from her life. She felt so incomplete without them and her hanyou. Reflecting on her past adventures with the group, it became so obvious to Kagome why they had grown on her so much. And Inuyasha. Despite his cockiness, stubbornness and his terrible attitude, Kagome missed him the most. If she ended up being sealed off from them forever then...
"Kagome?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by her teacher. Lifting her head from the palm of her hand, she turned to see just about half the class as well as her teacher staring at her. "Kagome will you answer the question or not? I've been calling you the past few minutes now"
She suddenly felt the awkwardness of the situation. Had she been spacing out that much? How embarrassing! "Erm.." She thought for a moment, trying to recall any questions she may have heard her teacher ask. After a few seconds she replied. "Uhm.. would that be the year 1872?" Her teacher eyed her suspiciously for a few seconds, before slowly nodding and resuming his lesson.
'Phew that was a close one. Come on Kagome, focus.' She was never one to purposely draw attention to herself and the last thing she needed right now was another awkward situation like that. Just then, the final bell rung: school was done for the day, thank goodness.
'I could really use a nice warm bath and a nap right now'. Kagome closed her textbook and packed up her things. As she was about to leave, she heard a voice call to her. "Ms. Higurashi, I'd like to have a word with you if you don't mind."
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. She had a gut feeling her teacher wouldn't let her spacing out go unaddressed. She knew a lecture was coming, she just knew it. Sighing, she turned around and took a seat at a desk up front and she waited for the rest of the students to clear the classroom. As soon as the classroom was empty, she turned towards the teacher that had proceeded to sit on his desk in front of her.
"Yes, what is it Mr. Tsu?" Kagome knew there'd be a good, long lecture on the way soon enough. It was always the same with this guy. The man folded his arms and watched Kagome intensely. His thick grey eyebrows furrowed as he watched her and she immediately became uncomfortable.
"Ms. Higurashi, I must say it's been very good to see you back in school and working hard again. You know, you were sick for the better part of last year and I was sure you wouldn't make it into your senior year. A lot of your teachers including me, assumed you would just drop out of school altogether. But here you are. You've somehow managed to pull through and it's truly a remarkable feat." He spoke slowly, his gaze never leaving her.
Okay, now this was a little strange, she wasn't sure what he was getting at. Mr. Tsu was a very stern and sometimes a cruel man. He was always such a hard ass and he hardly ever praised any of his students for anything, let alone her, so why now? She wasn't exactly sure how to reply to what he had just said.
"Thank you sir" Kagome felt somewhat uncomfortable around the large man and she avoided making any eye contact with him.
He got up from his spot on his desk and strolled over to a nearby window, gazing down at the schoolyard below. "Since you've been back Ms. Higurashi, I've noticed you haven't really been yourself. You're usually very enthusiastic about history class but you've changed for some reason…"
'That's because I don't want to be studying ancient history right now, I want to actually be apart of it'But of course Kagome would never tell him that. She simply remained silent and let him continue.
"Ms. Higurashi, do remember that this is your final year and this is a very important stage in your life. Whoever this boy is that's been on your mind, he can wait" Kagome's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. How'd he know she'd been day dreaming about Inuyasha all this time? Could she really have been that obvious that even her school teachers could tell Inuyasha constantly haunted her? Kagome couldn't help but blush and she silently thanked the gods that Mr. Tsu's back was turned and he couldn't see her face turn red.
Though he still did not turn to face her, Mr. Tsu actually smiled softly. "Kagome" he spoke using her first name for once, "I'd really hate to see you back in this same class next year. Focus on what it is you have to do" With a wave of the hand he dismissed her.
Kagome gathered her things and left, her mind swirling with thoughts of what had just taken place. She was immediately met outside the classroom by her friends and they all bombarded her with different questions as to what they had talked about. She rolled her eyes. Kagome knew that even though she had gotten off the hook with her teacher, she still had to answer to her friends, no doubt about that.
"Guys, it's nothing really! I was just a little tired is all." Kagome said as they walked through the doors of the main building.
"Oh yeah right Kagome. You've been acting really strange lately and everyone's noticed it. Is everything okay at home?" Ayumi asked.
"Sure, everything's fine! Granpa, Souta and Mom are doing great"
"Well if nothing's wrong at home then it must be your bad boy" Yuka pointed out.
Kagome tensed as her mind immediately focused on Inuyasha. 'Oh boy, here it comes' And she was right. They all noticed her reaction and instantaneously flooded her with questions. "GUYS!" They all fell silent and looked at her.
"Is anyone hungry?"
...
Kagome and her friends sat in WacDonalds enjoying some milkshakes after having lunch. They had been chatting away about things pertaining to school, boys and other things but much to Kagome's chagrin, the conversation eventually veered towards her 'bad boy' and what could possibly be going on in their relationship that bothered her so much.
"So what's the matter Kagome, has he stopped calling you or something?" Eri asked.
"Erm, well something like that. We had a little bit of a fight, uhm... the other day, and we haven't spoken to each other since. Well I haven't been able to reach him."
"You know what Kagome, don't get so caught up over this guy. You guys fought so now he won't even call you? He's such a jerk!" Yuki said. "We were thinking about going out tonight Kagome, you should come. It's gonna be lots of fun! There'll be plenty of cute guys for you to meet"
"Yeah, forget old what's-his-name. Live a little! What could be better than a Friday night out on the town with your gal-pals? " Eri piped up.
Kagome smiled. They could be a pain sometimes…okay, most of the time, but she loved these girls so much. She couldn't help but agree. Besides, she figured she may as well use her time here to live life as a normal girl again. Sure, she enjoyed travelling in the feudal era, but it could eventually become depressing being faced with death and disease, which was so common among the villages they traveled to. If she could go back to being a regular girl for just awhile, why not?
The three girls cheered in unison.
…
Kagome looked herself over in the mirror of her room and decided that she was happy with her appearance. She wore a pair of faded black low rider jeans with a small silver chain snug against her waist. She also wore a white sleeveless top that showed a decent amount of her cleavage as well as a plain black cotton choker. Her friends met her at her home and after a few goodbyes to her family, they were off into the night.
The party was alive with music and dancing. Lights flashed everywhere and the bass of the music was deep and penetrating. Cigarette smoke clung to the air, making it somewhat difficult to breathe and the room felt congested by all the people moving around in it. Kagome was slightly hesitant at first. After all, she had only been to something like this once before, but after some reassurance from her friends she became quite comfortable with the scene. They had started off with a few drinks. Kagome wasn't a big drinker so she'd only asked for a very mild drink but even that had been able to get her somewhat buzzed. Pretty soon, Kagome found herself on the dance floor, just moving to the music. She and her three friends danced together just enjoying their time out with each other. Kagome felt the deepness of the bass thrumming within the inner most core of her body and she lost herself to the music.
She almost felt as though she'd been on another plane of existence. All of her troubles slowly melted away, one by one. And the only thing that mattered right now was the music. She rocked and swayed in sync with the song, sipping her drink every so often. Kagome thought that she had heard Ayumi say something to her but she didn't care. Nothing else mattered to her right now.
…
A few months earlier in the Feudal era…
Inuyasha decided that no matter what Miroku and Sango had told him, he'd go straight down that damn well and drag Kagome back by her fucking hair if he had to. There was no way that she could leave them for two weeks straight and for what? Just to "stock up on some supplies" for the group. She had to have been doing more than that. She must have just been slacking off and living it up in that world of hers. How could Kagome be so selfish knowing that they had more jewel shards to find and that each waking moment was precious? They had to find and stop Naraku.
Inuyasha leaped and bounded through the forest near the well, with a look of pure determination in his golden eyes. His feet barely touched the ground as he picked up his pace as the Bone Eater's Well came into view. In one fluent motion, he crouched low and propelled himself off the ground, into the air and into the mouth of the well. Though, Inuyasha did not expect to land painfully on the cold earth below. He was completely caught off guard because he expected to be whisked away 500 years into the future as he usually would, but for some reason he wasn't. Inuyasha quickly composed himself, and looked up to see the sky above him. That meant that he was still in his era. But how? The well should have taken him into Kagome's time like it always did.
He leaped out of the well and repeated the process, only to get the same outcome. Something was going on. He sniffed around the bottom of the well but he could only pick up the scent of the earth. He leaped out of the well and studied it for a moment. Getting on all fours, he began sniffing around the rim and the outside of the well. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but something felt a little off. Inuyasha got a deep, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was definitely wrong here.
...
Miroku, Sango and Shippo now all peered down into the well, trying to see if they could spot anything peculiar. "That's really odd. This has never happened before." Sango thought aloud. They had all come to inspect the well after Inuyasha told them that it wouldn't take him to Kagome's time.
"Do you think it's broken?"
"Well Shippo, that may just be the case. We really can't know for sure what's wrong with it. Inuyasha, would you mind trying to jump in one more time for us?"
Inuyasha gave a brief nod and complied, only to land at the bottom like before. He looked back up to the others, "See? Nothin'. It doesn't work."
"Guys, if Inuyasha can't get through to Kagome's time, maybe Kagome's having the same problem with the well on her side too? It's not that Kagome doesn't want to come back, maybe it's just that she can't!" Sango said, panicked.
"You know Sango, you might just be onto something there." Miroku said.
Inuyasha frowned. "But the well couldn't have just stopped working all of a sudden out of nowhere. There has to be a reason for it."
Miroku spoke again. "Yes Inuyasha, you're absolutely right. There must be a reason behind the well not being able to transport you. I don't sense any traces of evil here or anything that could have possibly tampered with the well's abilities. It's just strange."
Inuyasha stared at the well for a second, "There's no evil around it but I can sense that something is definitely…odd. Whatever the hell is going on here, I want answers, and I'm gonna find out exactly what I want to know. If anything, Kaede must know what's wrong with this stupid thing"
...
The sun hung low in the sky as the group made their way back to the village, each one of them eager to discover what information Kaede could give them about the Bone Eater's Well. The elderly woman now sat alone in her hut and had been preparing some green tea to enjoy that evening. As they approached her home, Miroku called out. "Lady Kaede, may we come in? We have something to ask of you"
Recognizing the monk's voice she spoke, her voice slightly cracking as she did. "Aye children, ye may come in. Have tea with me this evening." Within seconds, they had entered the hut and sat opposite Kaede on the other side of a small fire. "Lady Kaede, something strange has happened to the well. For some reason-" Sango began but was rudely cut off by Inuyasha.
"Listen Kaede, we didn't come here to sit around and drink tea. The Bone Eater's Well stopped working. I can't get through, so what the heck is going on?"
Kaede looked up at him in utter shock. "Ye are not able to travel into the future? How can this be?"
"Well that's what we came to see you about, Kaede. You've lived here in this village longer than anyone else, so we came here hoping you would have some answers. Are you able to tell us anything at all about the well?" Sango asked.
Kaede offered them each a cup of the warm brew. They all accepted her kind gesture, except for Inuyasha of course. The old woman sat back, leaning against the wall of her hut, closing her eyes before answering the question. "I have lived here a fair number of years. But the Bone Eater's Well has existed here much longer than I have. Would ye like to hear of its origins?" They nodded.
"You see, here in this village there has always been an old tale of the well that has been handed down among us. It is said that many years ago while this very village was still quite young, the well brought forth mystical waters. They were healing and rejuvenating waters. The people would visit the well daily to draw water to drink, as it has been said that drinking from the well would surely bring longevity and youthfulness. Yes, the river's water was drawn by the villagers, but alas the water from the well was much more desirable." At this point, everyone listened intently as Kaede went on with her tale.
"This village was truly blessed by the well's presence. The people knew that they had been given a special gift from the gods and they cherished it so. The well's water was also capable of healing nearly any kind of wound and sickness one could think of. Naturally, word spread across the lands about the well and many a traveler had come to see it and to taste its never ending waters. Though, there also came terrible demons from all over, seeking the well's waters. Many bloody battles had been fought in the hopes to protect this precious gift from falling into the hands of demons." The elderly woman paused in order to gather her thoughts.
"One evening, there came a very peculiar man. He was a peasant in rags and had no shoes. The man had come to the village seeking shelter for the night to come, offering what little money he had left as payment. But the people of this village looked down upon him with scorn in their hearts and turned him away. How could the townspeople look down upon him, when they were not much better themselves? The well was the only true treasure these people possessed.
However, a young girl had witnessed the man's plight, and fearing for his well-being, she offered him her father's stable to sleep in through the night. She asked for nothing in return. The knowledge that she had been able to help the poor man had enlightened her heart so. The man was touched by the gesture and slept comfortably that night. Though he was touched, he still could not forget the scorn and disgust the people had demonstrated towards him. So, he placed a terrible curse on the well that the villagers had cherished so much. The well's healing waters had run dry so that now the people might cease to be blinded by selfishness. This strange man could never forget the little girl's kindness though and he blessed the well in a very special way, just for her.
You see, there had been a demon that had attacked the village and was successfully slain. Unfortunately, this demon was able to revive itself from its remains alone. Nobody could have expected this, and many were killed that day, this child's mother being one of them. So the man made a promise to the little girl, that as long as the remains of a slain demon were thrown into the dry well, they would be purified and could never harm anyone again. And so, the Bone Eater's Well was born." Kaede sipped her tea as she let what she had just said sink in.
"Kagome travelling here through the well from her era with the assistance of the Shikon jewel was truly a surprise to me as I had no idea the well possessed time travelling abilities. If the story is true, then perhaps that strange man had done something much more to the well than any of us could have ever imagined…"
The entire group fell silent as they contemplated what Kaede had just said. Miroku was first to break the silence, "So that's how the Bone Eater's Well came to be…" his voice trailed off. "But still, that doesn't explain what could have happened to it that disabled its ability to allow time travel."
"Do you guys think Naraku could have had something to do with this?" Shippo asked. All eyes focused on the kitsune child as he mentioned the name of the wretched demon.
"Anything is possible Shippo, but for some reason, I doubt it. If Naraku had done something to the well then surely we would've been able to detect a demonic presence near it weeks ago when Kagome left. There couldn't be a barrier around it either or else Inuyasha would not have been able to jump in." Miroku replied.
Sango frowned. "So what does this mean for Kagome?"
Kaede silently wished there was more information that she could offer. "I'm sorry, but I know nothing more about the well to aid ye. I fear that if Kagome is to find her way back into this world, she must find a way to accomplish this on her own. Perhaps her spiritual abilities will be able to reactivate the well somehow. Until then, ye are all welcome to stay here, as always."
"Thank you Kaede" Sango said as she and the others bowed respectfully and left her home.
...
Inuyasha paced impatiently back and forth in the vacant hut the group had been given to stay in while they waited for Kagome. "You know Inuyasha, you should just relax for tonight. Kaede's right, there's probably nothing more we can do about it except wait" Sango suggested.
Inuyasha paused in his pacing, "Wait? Don't you see? All we've been doing these days is waiting around and I'm sick of it!"
"Yes that is understandable Inuyasha but like Kaede said, there's nothing more we can do" Miroku said.
Even though he didn't want to admit it, Inuyasha knew that his friends were absolutely right. Neither of them could figure out what was happening to the Bone Eater's Well. And if Kagome hadn't come back yet, then it was very likely that she couldn't pass through from her side either. He sat down and leaned against the wall of the hut.
As Inuyasha thought to himself, he began to feel guilty for ever thinking that Kagome purposely left them for two weeks without a word. 'I know Kagome better than that. I know she's not selfish enough to do something like that…'
He closed his eyes. Inuyasha couldn't deny that he had begun to really miss Kagome. Never did he realise how much of an impact she had had on his life and how much she had changed him. He smirked inwardly as he thought about the first time she sat him when he tried to snatch the Shikon No Tama. She was really gutsy for doing that and that was something he admired about her. For a human, she was just as fierce as any other demon he'd faced out there on the battlefield. 'Kagome will come through, I just know it. She has to', was his last thought before he drifted off into a light sleep.
...
A soft white glow peeked in through small cracks of the hut and settled on Inuyasha's face, but just as briefly as it came, it was gone. It did not go unnoticed by him though. His face scrunched tight then softened as he awoke and sat up. The small fire in the middle of the hut had long since burned out and his friends slept peacefully around the small dwelling. Inuyasha, curious as to what that light was, got up and quietly exited the hut and wandered off to find it. Then he saw them.
"Kikyo's Soul Stealers…" he whispered. Inuyasha knew that meant she would be nearby. He knew he should turn back, but he couldn't.
Kikyo climbed out of a shallow pool and wrapped a large cloth around her body to conceal her nakedness. "Inuyasha, I can tell that you're here. Come" She motioned over to him as she sat on a nearby boulder.
Inuyasha, who couldn't help but take in her beauty, slowly came forward from his spot in the bushes. He was unsure of what to say at this point. He had never seen so much of her bare body before; she was absolutely stunning.
"Kikyo, what are you doing so close to the village?" He knew that Kikyo rarely ever wandered this close to the village, so what was she doing here tonight?
She gazed at him with a softness in her eyes that was quite familiar to him. Instead of responding to his comment directly, she decided to change the subject. "Does anybody know you're here?" Inuyasha knew what she meant by that. What she really meant to ask was 'does Kagome know you're here'.
He turned his gaze to the ground. "The others are asleep back in the village and Kagome…" his voice trailed off. She looked at him with mild curiosity at his answer, silently telling him to continue.
"Kagome's gone."
"Gone? Do explain Inuyasha."
He sighed. "You see Kikyo, Kagome went home to her time and she's been gone for two weeks now. For some reason, she can't get back through the well, and I can't get to her. Something must've gone wrong with it"
Kikyo turned to Inuyasha who had joined her on the boulder and placed her hand on top of his "Inuyasha…you know she doesn't belong here. She is not of our world, and she should never have come here in the first place. You know this. Perhaps the Bone Eater's Well understands this better than any of us do and so, has finally closed the gate between our world and hers."
Her words stung Inuyasha a lot more than he would ever care to admit. Could it be possible? Could the Bone Eater's Well have possibly sealed itself away? If that was so then that meant that he would never see Kagome again…and he had never even gotten the chance to say goodbye. "But we need Kagome to find the rest of the jewel shards. Without her-"
"Don't be foolish Inuyasha, I may be of assistance to you. Did you forget that I have the ability to see the shards of the Shikon Jewel as well?"
She was right. Of course Kikyo would be able to see the shards. She was a very powerful priestess after all. But allowing her to travel with them instead of Kagome? The others would never permit that to happen. They all loved their Kagome too much to allow it.
He looked at her to see her staring intensely into his golden eyes with her own chocolate ones. It was as though she were silently pleading with him. And whatever it was that Kikyo needed, he would do his best to provide for her, no matter what.
"Inuyasha, you know I've never wanted anything more from this life than to spend it with you…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her words were nearly enough to undo him completely. How impossibly long had he waited to hear her say something like this to him again?
Kikyo sat so close to him now, her scent was driving him insane. She still held the sweet aroma of jasmine that he fondly remembered from days long past. But she was still alluring all the same. He couldn't help but stare into her eyes as she leaned closer and captured his lips with her own. Inuyasha responded immediately.
What started out as a soft, chaste kiss between them quickly became hot, wet and passionate. Their tongues danced together which elicited a soft groan from Kikyo. That groan made Inuyasha lose what little remained of his grip on reality. He lifted her up onto his lap, stood and then laid her softly on the bank of the shallow pool. He settled on top of her as their kiss quickly became more ravenous, and more desperate. Kikyo reached up to press her nails in the back of his neck and used her free hand to get between them to stroke his throbbing loins. He growled deep within his throat and his hand instantly went to cup her breast which was barely covered by her drying cloth. He used the tip of his claw to tease her budding nipple before lowering his mouth to softly suck on it.
Inuyasha was utterly lost in a heady fog of desire. He had been waiting for this opportunity for so long. The woman he loved was moaning and groaning under him from the pleasure he was giving her; this was what he wanted. He felt light headed as he moved his hand lower until it lifted the bottom of her cloth and found her entrance. She was silky and moist for him already which delighted him immensely. He teased lightly at her entrance with his finger before carefully sliding it in, being very careful with her tender flesh. She groaned in ecstasy. Inuyasha trailed feather light kisses upwards from her breasts to her neck and teased her with his tongue. Then he began to gently nibble on her soft flesh.
"Inuyasha…" she breathed out. He growled out in response as he moved back up to capture her mouth. After a few short minutes, Kikyo had managed to turn the tables. She found herself on top of Inuyasha and undoing the pants of his haori. After revealing his pulsating member, she brought her lips to his head, kissing it before she used her tongue to tease it and finally took it into her mouth. Inuyasha stifled out a moan as she rhythmically moved her heated mouth up and down over him. The pleasure seared through his entire body, giving him an indescribable high. "Oh, Kagome…"
Kikyo froze at those two uttered words and she quickly released his manhood as if it had just bit her. Inuyasha was taken back at the sudden loss of pleasure and was dumbfounded. He looked at Kikyo who now glared at him with distrust and pain reflecting in her eyes at the same time.
"N-No Kikyo, wait. I'm sorry. Please don't stop."
"Inuyasha, you wretch! How could you mistake me for her? Why Inuyasha? I thought you loved me. I thought you wanted to be with me" She spoke with a voice laden with rage, hurt and betrayal. She began to quickly dress herself.
He tried to search for an answer, any answer at all, but he truly didn't know why he had called Kagome's name. "Kikyo, please…I'm sorry"
"Save it dog. If it is her you wish to have, then go to your wench. I'll have nothing more to do with you Inuyasha" And with that the wounded priestess left.
Inuyasha could only sit in that same spot and watch Kikyo leave.
"What have I done?"
He wandered around the forest aimlessly afterwards, deep in thought about what had just occurred. Never before had the lines blurred between Kikyo and Kagome when it came to his affections. Kikyo was the woman he'd always loved. She always had been for over fifty years. Deep down, he knew he cared for Kagome a lot as a friend, but in the end, Kikyo was the love of his life. So how had Kagome had managed to enter his thoughts while Kikyo was the one who was pleasuring him?
'Kagome…what would she think if she had seen me and Kikyo together like that?'Of course he knew the answer to that. It would destroy her. His heart sank at the thought. Inuyasha felt absolutely terrible for what he just did; not only had he betrayed Kagome's trust but now he knew Kikyo despised him all over again. Everything had happened so fast between them. He allowed his instincts to get the better of him and for that, he knew that sooner or later he would have to face the consequences of his lack of self-control.
…
Three months later…
He stretched as he exited the cave, and greeted the morning air with a small smirk. It was just about dawn when Kouga had woken up and left his chambers to scan his vast territory. Everything seemed just about right. Throughout the beautiful mountain terrain, members of his wolf demon clan began their mornings as usual. Some were lazily strolling about while others we're preparing to go on the morning hunt. Mothers fussed with their cubs, trying to wash their dirty faces in the streams that branched throughout the territory. A few of the regular wolves could be seen hanging around the territory, a few basking in the warm sun.
Kouga sat on the edge of a cliff, his feet dangling over the edge. Kagome had been on his mind a lot these past few weeks and this morning was no different. Thinking about Kagome always put Kouga in a light, happy mood. If it were up to him, he would've gone to see her much sooner, but the responsibility of being alpha of an entire wolf demon tribe was too time consuming. His hunt for Naraku didn't help either. But everything seemed okay now, so he decided he would pay her a visit today. Standing up from his spot on the mountain, he tilted his head back and let out a long howl. Within minutes Ginta and Hakakku came running from down the mountain.
"Hey Kouga, what can we do ya for?" Ginta asked as they jogged to Kouga's side.
"I'm gonna go say hello to Kagome for a few hours. I need you two to stay here and take care of the morning lookout around the eastern and western pass. Think you guys can do that?"
"Sure no problem, Kouga" Hakakku said cheerfully. Ginta nodded his agreement.
"Alright, see ya then. I'll be expecting a full report when I get back. And I better not come back and catch you guys slacking off!" Kouga hollered as he took off in his signature tornado. His two friends lifted their arms to shield their faces from the dust that was disturbed by the tornado. As the dust settled, they found Kouga to be long gone.
Kouga had no idea where he was going or how he would find his woman today. He hadn't caught wind of her scent yet but that wasn't enough to discourage the prince. If anything, he picked up his pace determined to find her. He had been running for about an hour when he came across a vast field, nestled between two large mountains. But what captured Kouga's attention about the field was the multitude of flowers that dotted it. There were flowers of so many different shapes, colors and sizes; the entire display was absolutely stunning. He immediately stopped running so as not to disturb the wildflowers and walked slowly through instead, carefully examining each one.
'Kagome would love these'Kouga bent down and picked out a small bouquet of the most appealing flowers in the field he could find. He held the bunch up to eye level, examining them. The colors meshed beautifully together and he was proud of what he had made. Satisfied, he took off again, feeling even more eager to see Kagome and present his gift to her.
It was still quite early in the morning when Kouga caught the scent of someone familiar. But it definitely wasn't the scent of someone he was looking forward to seeing. "Dog" he growled out under his breath. He scowled instinctively at the fowl scent but he knew that wherever the mutt was, Kagome was sure to be. So reluctantly, he followed the scent into a human village.
...
Sango bent, assisting Kaede in gathering her things as she had finished tending the wounds of a small child. "There, those wounds will heal soon enough. Be more cautious of where ye play, child" Kaede reprimanded.
"Thank you so much Lady Kaede. Bless you" The child's mother bowed. Just then, several screams were heard in the village.
"Demon! There's a wolf demon! He's come to devour us!"
Kaede and Sango hurried outside and into the crowd of frightened villagers who stood to confront the demon. They pushed their way to the front of the mob to see Kouga standing there obviously quite agitated by the villagers. 'Damn humans. I'd only put up with this shit for Kagome' he thought to himself. He hated being stared and gawked at.
"Oh, it's Kouga" Sango said. Kaede looked over to her.
"Ye know this demon?"
"Yes, this is Kouga, the leader of the Eastern wolf demon tribe and Inuyasha's arch rival, especially when it comes to winning Kagome's heart" she explained.
Kouga recognized Sango, one of Kagome's friends. "Yeah, thanks for the introduction but I came here to see Kagome, where is she?" he said in a not so polite manner. Just then, Miroku, who had heard the commotion, emerged from the crowd of people and stood next to Sango.
"Kouga?" After brief thought, he was able to figure out exactly why Kouga must have come. "Kagome isn't here right now, Kouga"
"Well if she's not here then where the hell is she?"
"Oh come on, don't ya think it's a bit too early to come barking around here wolf?" Everyone turned to see Inuyasha standing on the branch of a nearby tree, his arms folded and his face contorted in revulsion. Kouga coming around asking for Kagome was the last thing he needed right now, especially since she had been gone for about three months now and he had no clue when or if she would be coming back. He walked over to the crowd of people and stood face to face with the displeased wolf.
"Well if it isn't dog face. I knew I smelled dog shit around here somewhere. But I don't have time to play with little puppy dogs today. I came here looking for Kagome, now where is she?" Kouga demanded.
Inuyasha decided he had had just about enough of this. "Are ya deaf or what? Kagome isn't here! Not that she'd want to see your sorry ass anyways!"
"If she's not here, then where is she, mutt?"
Miroku decided he would speak up before both canine demons got into an altercation that could potentially mean trouble for everyone. "Kouga listen. Kagome has gone home, and we're not sure when she will be returning to us."
He turned to look at the monk. "Alright, fair enough. Where's this home of hers? I'll just go there to look for her"
Inuyasha was losing his patience quickly. How dare this scrawny wolf barge into this village demanding to see Kagome as if he had every right to her to do that? He growled, baring his fangs and flexing his claws. If this wolf tried to pull anything fast, he'd surely tear his head clean off his neck. And Kagome wasnt here to stop him from doing it either. Inuyasha had no patience with Kouga at all. Kagome's absence and the guilt of what had happened several months ago with Kikyo had been weighing on him more and more each passing day. Dealing with Kouga was the last thing he wanted to do. Sango and Miroku exchanged uneasy glances. They were not sure of how to explain to Kouga that it wasn't a matter of where Kagome's home was…it was a matter of when.
Kaede noticed. "Well if this demon is as infatuated with Kagome as ye say, then methinks that the wolf will not leave until he has found her. Perhaps it would be best if the situation is properly explained to him" Kaede then went ahead to disperse the crowd of curious villagers. They all knew she was right. Kouga obviously wanted answers and they knew he would probably cause trouble if he didn't get them.
'Situation? What exactly is going on here…?'
"Hmph, we don't havta explain anything to him cause it's none of his damn business!" Inuyasha protested as he drew his Tetsusaiga.
"What did you say mutt?" Kouga flexed his claws and bared his teeth.
"Guys wait!" Miroku stood between them. "Let's just settle this calmly, we don't want any trouble from either of you. Kouga, if you would just follow me, we can discuss this rationally."
All eyes were on Miroku now. Surprisingly, Kouga just quietly nodded towards the monk and without a fuss, he followed as Miroku led him to the hut the group had been staying in. Kouga's elated mood had been spoiled by the insolent puppy's yapping, but he sincerely wanted to know where Kagome was. He knew that by picking a fight with Inu-trasha, he wouldn't get those answers; so he decided he would comply…for now.
Shippo, who had perched himself on Miroku's shoulder whispered to him as they neared the hut. "Miroku, are you sure you're doing the right thing here?" He nodded.
"With Kagome gone for so long, it was only a matter of time before Kouga came to find her. He always does. So he would have found out sooner or later. The last thing we need is a dog fight between him and Inuyasha, especially here in Kaede's village where people could get hurt. It's best to explain things calmly. And it's best to speak with him away from Inuyasha."
Unbeknownst to Miroku or Shippo, Kouga had been able to pick up every word of their conversation thanks to his demonic hearing. His eyebrow twitched in agitation when the monk described it as a 'dog' fight. He was no dog, but he would let it slide for now. He was really curious as to what was going on and what the 'situation' with Kagome was. He really wished she wasn't hurt or anything, and if she was, he'd wring the mutt's neck dry for letting that happen to his Kagome.
…
"Five hundred years…in the future?" Kouga blinked curiously. Since Miroku had begun his explanation of where Kagome was from, Kouga had eaten up every single word he said. It all seemed too unreal, yet fascinating at the same time.
"Damn, I always knew there was something very special about my woman. I couldn't have chosen a better mate to lead my pack by my side, don't ya think?" Kouga grinned, his chest swelling with pride. This piece of news was absolutely mind blowing to him. Miroku chose to ignore that comment.
"Ahem, well you see Kouga. The Bone Eater's Well which is not very far from here is the only way for Kagome to gain access into this era and the same goes for Inuyasha, if he wants to cross into her time. The well is a bridge between both worlds and when that connection is broken…"
"She's stuck in her own time and dog face is stuck here…" Kouga finished. Miroku nodded.
"We're not exactly sure why the Well has stopped working though. This has never happened before. Kagome has been gone for about three months now, but we're still hopeful that she'll be able to somehow re-activate the well with her own powers."
Kouga fell silent for a while, absorbing this piece of information. So does this mean that he would never see Kagome again? He clutched the bouquet of flowers in his hand unconsciously. Hearing all this, he made up in his mind that he would be the one to reach Kagome and bring her back. He'd make sure of that. "It's settled then." Kouga said as he got up. Miroku gave him a curious look.
"I'll find this well and fix it myself so Kagome can come back to me. I'll find a way. Even if it's the last thing I do!" And with that, Kouga left the hut in a whirl and within seconds he was gone. Inuyasha had been leaning against the side of the hut and had heard every single word they said. He growled lowly and his clawed hands tightened into white-knuckled fists.
…
Kouga had no idea where he was going for the second time that day. After wandering the forest for several minutes, he came upon an old well that sat in an open clearing. He slowed as he approached it and looked over the edge. 'This must be the dry well the monk spoke of. Doesn't look like much to me…' he thought as he gave it some further inspection. He tried jumping into it as the monk said Kagome would but nothing happened. 'Hmm' He looked around the bottom…nothing but old bones and dust. He leaned up against the wall of the well and looked to the heavens for answers.
"Kagome, how do I bring you back to me…"