InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Left Behind ❯ Finally Home ( Chapter 4 )

AN: Hope you all enjoy the story.

 

AN: March 4, 2008

Thank you for telling me about the misspelling. Another thing is I started writing this story in 2005. This story isn't really up to date with how the characters are in the manga.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the Yuu Yuu Hakusho characters.

 

Last Time in Chapter Three

 

 

Unnoticed to her she was in a pool of crystal tears with hollow fillings. Eyelashes sparkled with crystal chips on them. Her eyelids tented a well-nigh subtle blue. Lips transformed into a look of blue lip-gloss cover. Gentle sky blue tipped her nails.

 

 

Koenma knew what that meant. Despite the fact that she is strong by herself it's still impossible for a soul to maintain human form without showing some signs of death. The color blue symbolized that she was still not officially living. Just by being able to touch her showed that she is immensely powerful. He would have to hand over the jewel to the young woman soon.

 

 

Death had a tug a war with her soul and another. He was sure it had to do with Mordiko. She wouldn't be happy if he hesitated handing over the jewel. There probably be hell to pay if not and he wasn't about to gamble with that. It'll have to be handed to her in the next twenty-four hours.

 

 

A low whisper made route to Botan's ear. “I want to go home, please.” Without even knowing it Kagome had given herself a reason to live.

 

Chapter Four: Finally Home

 

Home is where the heart is and there is no place like home. Kagome had to realize this the hard way, but now that's she's home is she willing to make a change for the better or worse?

 

 

Sunrise is just approaching as an old man checks inside an ancient splintered well. The hope that was so evident in his eyes taking another crack from the hammer. His hands came together in prayer saying, “Kagome, we all miss you. May kami look after you.”

 

Back slumped in the defeat of a new day. He walked out and looked to the shrine's stairs watching as the sun just began to hit them. Every day the sunrises and it sets just like their hopes.

 

For two years now on their daughter's birthday they came and prayed by the well. Each morning he would get up checking the well to see if she was there. So many nights he had to hear his daughter, Asako Higurashi, crying herself to sleep. See her eyes glitter with unshed tears while her eyes gaze upon the god tree. Look upon his grandson staring aimlessly at the front door and he could not do anything.

 

He knew that when they all went out that a mallet hit their hearts seeing all the happy families together. It was taunting them again and again. Reminding them of the numb feeling in their hearts. Giving them a reason to pray harder for their love one.

 

His old age restricted him. All though his knowledge was wide his energy was not. He had admitted it to himself long ago that he had no real spiritual powers. If he did he would have jumped in the well to get his granddaughter back. That wasn't the case though. What he could do he did. Helping his family keeps their faith up that one-day kami would allow Kagome to return back to them.

 

Only granddaughter had a gift, a gift of loving and forgiving. She could give anybody strength in heart, but could not do that for herself. He had seen the many times she cried. Knew that she wanted her father to come back and comfort her. Over time she had accepted her mother as a tower of strength until she herself could be her own.

 

Nature was mocking them. His daughter, dressed in a traditional red miko's garb, was sweeping the front of the shrine humming a tune full of hope. Life moved on as if nothing was out of place as the birds chirped, squirrels played, and people awoken. Of course that wasn't the case for the Higurashi family. Crisp morning air filled his old lungs while a soft breeze whisk by.

 

Footsteps could be heard on the cement steps of the first of visitors of the day.

 

A broom fell onto the stone ground catching his attention. Asako stood still hands gripping nothing but air. Her eyes trained on one thing. Looking in the same direction old eyes met stunning stormy blue. Then he knew nature wasn't mocking them at all.

 

*S*C*

 

After four years of traveling in the feudal era, one year of extreme mental abuse, and five hundred years of pure, uncontaminated, unadulterated solitude and remorse she's finally home.

 

Oh, how much she longed to be held by her mother. Wanting to hear the exaggerated stories of her grandfather. See her brother try to beat a new game. She bit her inner lip trying hard not to let the sobs come out her mouth. `So long. So so long' Now she was home. How much did she wish for the day to return home?

 

Her heart clenched in an agonizing joy and angst squeezed her. She was finally home. Staring at the steps she could barely believe it. Too afraid to take a step fearing that she would wake up and find herself once more in the vast abyss of the sky. Tears burned at her eyes. What would she do if this were a dream? Death wouldn't come to her. She would be left to stay in the sky lonely for all eternity.

 

Koenma, Botan, and Spirit Detectives watched her from behind. No one could force her to see her family. She had to do it on her own. The scent of fresh rain filled the demons' noses. Botan held her hands to her heart watching the young woman stand at the steps.

 

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut taking the first step. A joy filled gasp ripped from her and without hesitation she took off running up the steps of her home. `Momma, Ji-chan, Souta I'm home.'

 

She didn't notice or care when the tears fell from her eyes. Didn't care to see what was clattering against the ground. All that mattered lay up there at the last step. In the back of her mind she could see the memories of her family. Like the times her father or mother consoled her after a nightmare, baby Souta being brought home, and Ji-chan going off on her for not listening.

 

The last step was in view. Just as she stepped on it she heard a broom drop. Turning her head she saw the one person she missed the most. Mother…

 

They stood there staring at one another in shock. Kagome stepped forward. In less than a second she appeared in her mother's arms crying.

 

Kuwabara picked up the scattered tears placing them in the bag Koenma gave him. The group took their time climbing the steps. One by one they followed after the forsaken priestess. Koenma and Botan took the lead in a false content casual walk. Watching the young woman run up ahead gave Botan the hope she needed. “Maybe she'll come too.” Her whisper reached Koenma's ears. A passing smile swept across his face.

 

Behind Kurama was lost in his conversation with his others.

 

Shuichi - What's going to happen to her?

 

Kurama - Who knows? Its all up to Koenma and the young woman.

 

Youko - The fool is going to hand over the Shikon to her. She may be beautiful but she has no will power.

 

Heie broke through their conversation, `Calm your self fox.'

 

Kurama - Hiei's right, Youko. We know almost nothing about her. She will probably surprise us like Yusuke did.

 

Shuichi - Koenma wouldn't be so stupid if it concerned the well being of others.

 

Youko gave a mocking laugh. `That child only cares about his own welfare and what his father thinks.' Mental sighs could be heard from both Suichi and Kurama.

 

Dark Crimson eyes scanned the area around them looking for anything that could be called suspicious. Hiei fell into step with Kurama lost in his own thoughts about the situation.

 

Yusuke and Kuwabara kept unusually quiet in the back. Their foot steps the only proof that they are still there. Every few steps Kuwabara would bend down and pick up the crystallized tears.

 

`What the fuck have I gotten myself into?' Yusuke thought. He looked ahead at the running form of the young woman who was sure to give him more trouble than anyone else had. She stopped at the last step. His eyes didn't even blink and she had disappeared from sight. `A hell of a lot more trouble.' He thought.

 

“It seems that the young woman does indeed hold some kind of power.” Kurama's voice broke through the other Spirit Detectives thoughts and they all secretly agreed with him.

 

`Just how much though?' Koenma thought solemnly.

 

Kagome clung to her mother as if a lifeline. `This is real, right? These arms around me they're real right? They're real, right!' She thought desperately. This isn't a dream anymore. It isn't a joke. `This has to be real!' Sobs racked her body and heart. Her breath lost in her desperate grasp for reality. “Mother!” She called out in a mix of emotions.

 

Asako held onto her daughter for dear life. The feeling seeming natural and at the same time unusual. It disturbed her how it could be called unusual. Looking at her daughter she drunk in all of her new features. In truth, she looked more like her father than ever. The feeling of pride, sadness, and happiness overwhelmed her.

 

She hadn't noticed the tears that poured from her eyes nor the new faces that graced her shrine's steps. All that mattered to her was that her family was finally back together. The thought of getting to see both her children everyday sent a smile to her face. Years of prayers paid off.

 

Footsteps could be heard running around the house, but the three family members ignored it all. Ja-chan had yet to get over the shock of seeing his granddaughter again. “After so many prayers Kagome your finally home.” He said.

 

A blur of red and black ran past him. He instantly noticed his grandson running towards the rest of his family.

 

“Kagome!” A young man's voice called out.

 

Kagome looked up shock appearing in her eyes. `Souta you've grown so much.' Her brother's tall form stood fifteen feet away disbelief lining his teenage features. His arms trembled and she could only imagine his feet must feel like lead.

 

The Spirit Gang forgotten she gave her first smile to the living world in centuries show. Even though it was small and held much sadness it was beautiful. Gasps from the stairs were ignored and she slowly walked to her brother.

 

`Kami please don't let this be a dream. I beg of you have mercy. Let me live again.' Kagome begged whoever was above. Trembling lean arms engulfing her in a loving hug made tears run loose. With even shakier arms she tightly held her brother before she broke down in a renewed fit of sobs.

 

“Big sister you're home.” Souta's voice boomed in her ears drowning out the sound of raining crystals hitting the ground.

 

A hoarse whisper escaped her through her dry lips and throats. “Home?” The word almost sounded foreign to her. Once she had thought of being home, but it was too painful to continue while living in her wasteland of a heaven. How cruel it was for a soul that was meant to help and be with others to be alone for so long.

 

Her mother kissed her on her forehead bringing her out of her thoughts. “Yes, Kagome you're home.” The dreams and memories that served to torture and preserve some of her sanity washed away as her mother's voice finally made sense. In her mother's arms Kagome passed out feeling safe for the first time in centuries.

 

Kagome's Dream

 

Midoriko stood looking at the small lake that had formed long ago in Inuyasha's forest. She turned slowly to look at Kagome's fading in and out form thinking of all she herself had to go through. “The life of a priestess is never easy.”

 

“But who chooses who gets to be a priestess and who doesn't?” Kagome sat up looking around the familiar seen with pained eyes. “I wasn't strong enough to be a priestess.” Her whisper strained against Midoriko's ears as she sat up against a tree.

 

The elder of the two let out a harsh dry laugh. Her eyes glazed over as she looked far into her past. “You don't give yourself enough credit child, but give credit to those who don't deserve.” Midoriko's started to shift from her warrior's wardrobe to a regular blue priestess uniform.

 

“Why do you say that? Kikyo was a priestess that did everything to protect her village and the jewel. Even when she died and came back to life she still wielded power of no other. Keade taught all of what she knew to help her loved ones. YOU gave your life to make sure others could-“

 

“Enough!” Kagome stood from her spot taking a few steps back surprised to hear Midoriko raise her voice in such a way. The woman who created the strongest jewel ever to be known stood before her with guilty eyes, ones that held such powerful regret, pain, and sorrow. “Enough.” Midoriko's voice cracked as she turned around to face the lake.

 

“Keade is indeed a woman to deserve credit and respect, but that is all out of your short list.”

 

Kagome took a hesitant step back.

 

“Kagome, Kikyo chose to die instead of protecting the jewel, instead of finishing out her duty. I didn't want to die. I was to young I thought. There was just too much I hadn't done! I wasn't ready to die for a duty I never wanted! In all my greed I had chose to preserve my life by creating a jewel from my soul while letting the releasing of it purify the demons. It didn't work out as planned the demons souls were trapped in the jewel with me. From my selfishness I created the jewel and was cursed to continue to fight demons. All the while looking out at the people I made suffer.” Tears slid down her cheeks as she kneeled to the ground picking up a yellow flower.

 

“Kikyo and I weren't strong we were selfish. I didn't want to die and Kikyo wanted to be with Inuyasha.” A dry deep throat laugh escaped Midoriko. Kagome's back met a tree as she unconsciously continued to take steps back away from the legendary priestess. “How ironic that both of us didn't get what we yearned for the most.”

 

Kagome slid down the tree to the base of its large roots. “But.”

 

“There is no but. You on the other hand suffered a long life until your body, mind, spirit broke for purpose and even than you took off to the heavens not because you were afraid of death.-“

 

“But because I didn't want my family to suffer. I know how much pain they had to endure each time I left not knowing if I would return.” Kagome finished off.

 

They looked up at the sky watching as the sun slowly changed from yellow to blue becoming the moon. Walking over to the young girl Midoriko got down on one knee bowing her head in respect. “Legendary Priestess that defies time, allow me to train you as I have been instructed.”

 

END OF CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

AN: Please Review! Tell me if I've misspelled something or have my infamous problem with run on sentences. Thanks in advance for your reviews!