InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Well ❯ The Truth About Kagome ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: First, I'd like to thank my readers, and especially my reviewers. I'm going to try to keep Souta as much in character as I possibly can, but it will be a little difficult since this is sixteen years from where the story started.

 

Feedback: Desired, but not required. Always appreciated.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

Chapter 2: The Truth About Kagome

 

Souta's blue eyes opened in confusion. Why wasn't he hurt? Surely the fall into the well would have broken something, or at least jarred something. “Oh well,” he said. “I guess I shouldn't be upset that I'm not hurt.” He rose to his feet and brushed off his pants. Besides the blue eyes, another trait he had in common with his sister were the small, aside comments he made to himself. Kagome had done it and so did Souta.

 

He turned in a circle and noticed the vines and sunlight spilling into the well. He stared at the opening with his mouth gaping for a moment, before he snapped it shut. He knew exactly where he was. Actually, he knew when he was. When he was ten, Kagome had been attacked by an evil Noh mask that wanting her jewel shards. He had run to the well to get Inuyasha, but it wouldn't let him through. Not even with the jewel shard that was cutting his hand open from how tightly he was clenching it could he pass through the well. With his free hand, he had dug until that hand bled, just trying to find away to access the time slip. At that time he envied Kagome for the adventures she had, and the things she was able to do.

 

Now, he wished that he had never gone looking for Buyo in the well house sixteen years ago. If he hadn't been too afraid to go in, Kagome wouldn't have gone in, and she would have never been ripped into the past. A past that she literally couldn't escape from for whatever reason. Now that Souta knew it was possible past through it, he knew something was keeping Kagome here by force. The possibility that she was dead had entered his mind, but he doubted it. If she had died, Inuyasha would have come back and told them. Souta knew without a doubt that he still lived. He had hero-worshipped Inuyasha, and knew without a doubt that he had survived the final battle.

 

That meant Inuyasha was probably forcing Kagome to stay here.

 

He hoped that he would soon find out as he began to climb the vines. He hoisted himself over the edge and stared in marvel at the area around him. He was in the middle of a meadow sprinkled with flowers and butterflies. This seemed to be a welcome oasis a massive forest encircling it. His head lifted to the sky in amazement. He had never seen the sky this blue before, not even when he was in Nebraska for a book signing.

 

At twenty five, Souta Higurashi, was a world famous author. All of his novels were classified as fantasy and set in Feudal Japan. All of the stories came from what Souta read in Kagome's journey and from the stories she and Inuyasha would tell him.

 

When he told his mother he had sold his first novel, she was really upset. She didn't think it was right that he was making money on his sister's journeys and feelings. She thought he was grave robbing, in a way. She had refused any of the money or gifts he offered her when he made it big. Eventually Souta quit trying.

 

He didn't think of what he did as a bad thing. He wasn't capitalizing on his missing sister. He was immortalizing her, in a sense. Despite the fact that everyone's name had been changed and the stories were tweaked a bit, he was doing this in Kagome's memory.

 

This was the only way the world would know what Kagome Higurashi had done. How she had fought for people she didn't even know. How brave, strong, and kind she was.

 

Everyone who had read his books knew what his sister had done. They just didn't know that it was his sister. They didn't know that the fictional heroine had a real name and a real face.

 

Kagome was just another unsolved missing person's case in Tokyo. After a few years everyone, except for their mom, grandfather, Houjo, and Kagome's friend, Eri, had seemingly forgot her.

 

A brittle smile graced Souta's lips as he thought about the way Eri always claimed Kagome was missing because of her violent, two timing boyfriend.

 

In a way, she was right. Souta knew in the depths of his soul with a shudder coursing through him that the undead priestess, Kikyo had been right.

 

All that time Inuyasha acted like an avenging victim, he was a lying bastard.

 

He should have known better than to wander away from the well, but he spotted the sacred tree, and was drawn to it, just as his sister had been.

 

Within a moment, the man stood under the tree his sister had freed the half demon, Inuyasha from sixteen years ago to the day.

 

Today Kagome turned thirty one.

 

Souta's hand shook as he reached out to touch the prevalent scar on it. This was the spot where Inuyasha had hung for fifty years, before Kagome freed him.

 

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his pocket knife. Flicking it open, he shaved some bark off the tree in the shape of a heart, around slightly from where the scar was. Then, he lovingly carved Kagome's name and a 31 into it.

 

His hand reached out to touch his work. Pulling his hand back, he slipped the knife back in his pocket and walked around to where the scar was. He stared at it, his blue eyes growing cold.

 

One time when he was young, he had whiningly asked why Kagome was the only one who could use the well. Grandpa had told him because it was Kagome's fate, and that was the only explanation.

 

He shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Fate is a miserable and vicious bitch with a fucked up sense of humor.”

 

Nothing, but the wind answered his claim.

 

His chest rose and fell with each deep breath he took. His body quaked with rage toward Inuyasha. “Why did you have to take her from us?” He whispered to the tree.

 

Before he could stop it, an enraged howl ripped from his lips as he slammed his right fist into the bare spot on the tree. “Why couldn't you let her go?!” He screamed with tears streaming down his face.

 

He pounded the tree, imagining that the scar on the tree was the smug half demon's face. The rough edges of bark around the scar sliced into the skin of his knuckles, but he didn't care. When his fist was numb and dripping with sticky blood, he switched hands. Baring his teeth, he made another swing at the tree, but tripped over his own two feet, and fell to the ground.

 

His teeth gritted together as the tears poured down his cheeks, and dripped into the dirt surrounding the tree. He had never been the strong one, when it came to the two Higurashi kids. Kagome had been. She was always the strong one. Souta had pretty much tried to put this all behind him. Sure he thought about it, but he didn't dwell on it. He didn't wallow in it. He knew that if he walked around with all the emotions that this caused all the time, the hate and injustice he felt would devour him, like some kind of monster.

 

Just like it did to a white haired, golden eyed demon.

 

“You there! What are you doing?” A voice called, just as Souta was jerked to his feet by something surely stronger than a human was.

 

`That must mean it's a demon.' He thought.

 

Souta's blue eyes took in the appearance of the men before him. The obvious leader was dressed in robes of black and night sky blue. He carried some kind of staff in his right hand. His black hair was streaking with gray and was pulled back in a small ponytail. His blue eyes were cold, hard, full of distrust, and haunted at the same time as he examined Souta.

 

Souta broke off eye contact and looked around at the other men. Some of them carried knives, others clubs, some bows with arrows. All carried some kind of weapon.

 

The leader stepped closer to Souta. “State your business, then leave. Strangers are not welcome here.” His voice was stern and clipped as he spoke.

 

`Tell us what you're doing here and leave. We don't take kindly to strangers in these parts.' He remembered the line from some American Old West movie and smiled before he could keep himself from doing it.

 

The blue eyed leader narrowed his eyes into tiny slits and flicked his hand gingerly. Souta found himself slammed into the tree face first. “Check him for weapons.”

 

Souta blushed as the man, or demon, ran his hands along his body. A clawed hand slipped into Souta's back pocket and pulled out the knife. It was thrown at the leader's feet. Then, the same hand reached into Souta's front pocket and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter. They soon joined the knife. The hand then grabbed Souta's wallet, and it was thrown at the leader's feet. He watched as the leader knelt next to the items. He looked at the cigarettes and lighter in wonder for a moment, before reaching for Souta's wallet.

 

Souta cringed as he heard the demon behind him sniffing his neck and hair. “He smells good for a human, Miroku.”

 

“Miroku?” Souta vacantly echoed. He knew that name! Miroku was the monk that had traveled with Kagome.

 

Souta was ignored.

 

“He smells familiar. Just about identical to…” the male demon drove his nose into the hair at the nape of Souta's neck.

 

Meanwhile the monk was flipping through the pictures in Souta's wallet. He came to one that made him gape in shock. It was one of he and Sango with Kilala, Shippo, Inuyasha, and Kagome. He remembered the day that Kaede had taken it for Kagome. How could this boy have this picture? He moved to the next picture and his voice caught in his throat.

 

The demon holding Souta brought Souta's bloody fist to his nose. “He smells just like…”

 

“Kagome.” Souta, Miroku, and the demon all said at the same time.

 

“Why the hell do you smell like Kagome?” The demon snarled, digging his claws into Souta's throat.

 

Souta's hands flew up to grab the demon's hands. He dug his fingers tightly into the demon's flesh. Souta his spiritual powers welling with in him. No doubt the demon and the monk could sense them.

 

He had literally woken up with them on the morning of his eighteenth birthday. The night before when he was seventeen, he had none. The next morning he had so much he nearly couldn't control them.

 

“What the hell?” The demon asked in shock at the sudden change in the human's aura.

 

“Kouga! Release him!” The monk shouted at the demon, before the oddly dressed human purified him. He reached out and grabbed Souta's chin. “How could I have missed it? Your powers are just like hers, perhaps even stronger. And you look just like her,” he mused.

 

“Do I?” Souta asked, wanting to know about his sister the way she was now.

 

“Give or take a few prominent feminine attributes that Lady Kagome possesses.” The look on the man's face was purely that of a lecher as he pulled away from Souta.

 

Souta gaped and sputtered, before shouting, “Hey! That's my sister!”

 

“Do you want to see her?” Miroku asked, all traces of amusement were gone from his now stern face.

 

“Of course!” Souta told him.

 

“Well, today might be your lucky day.” There was no sincerity in the word lucky. It was without a doubt a sarcastic comment.

 

“The Western Lord always brings his mate to the well each year for her birthday. He enjoys to rub it in her face that she can't pass through it.” The wolf demon crossed his arms across his chest as he spat the words.

 

`Why can't Kagome pass through the well?' Souta asked himself.

 

A man ran up to Miroku and whispered something in his ear. Miroku frowned. “Everyone back to the village. The Western lord and his mate will be here within the hour.” He turned to Souta. “If you wish to see Kagome, I suggest that you follow me to change into some clothing from this era. The lord will kill you if he knows you are from Kagome's time. You can't let her know who you are either, or the last thing you will see are the claws of her mate.” Miroku began to walk toward the village.

 

“Wait!” Souta called after him. “I thought Sesshomaru is the Western Lord.”

 

The demon laughed at him. “Yeah, he was. That was before he was beaten and left for lesser demons to devour. Now the Western Lord is Inuyasha.”

 

They left Souta standing there. As he watched them grow smaller and smaller, he stood in the sun. Never before had the late April sun seemed as dark as it did now. Souta looked back in the direction of the well and then the shrinking forms.

 

After a moment, he dashed after the monk and the demon, wondering what the years had done to his sister.

 

!@#$%^&**&^%$#@!@#$%^&**&^%$#@!@#$%^&*

 

A/N: I know this is all kind of static right now. It will get clearer as the story continues. I know this chapter wasn't that great. The next chapter will be better. Sorry that Miroku and Kouga are jerks, but what happened to them will be revealed later.