InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bittersweet Rhapsody ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Trust me, if I owned Inuyasha, I would have killed off Kikyo permanently, made Inuyasha stop his long denial streak, and had him and Kagome married by the 100th episode. Hasn't happened yet, has it?

Thank you to all of you who reviewed! However, before I go on with the chapter I should really clear something up, before people start to think this is an Inuyasha/Kikyo (which is isn't, I loathe Kikyo as much as the next person). Kagome's flashback in Chapter 1 really DID happen, but as you will notice later, there is something fishy about the whole thing; in fact, it's a major part of the plot.

"Come ON, Kagome!" Eri was demanding rather passionately, stamping her foot on the linoleum floor. "Give us all the juicy details already!"

"Yeah, didja kiss him?" Yuka added keenly, bringing her head about an inch away from Kagome's.

"Ohhhhhh, I bet he's a GREAT kisser!" Ayumi squealed, almost spilling her latte from sheer excitement.

Kagome rolled her eyes and racked her brain for a decent excuse. She had absolutely been dreading this all morning---her three friends, inevitably, had forced her here to this corner coffee shop in order to hear the scoop on her date with Hojo. And she had no idea what to tell them---she had a feeling that they wouldn't be too happy if she explained to them what had really transpired...

"C'mon, Kagome! Tell us!"

"Did he drive the Toyota?! Did he hold your hand?!"

Ayumi, who happened to be the most astute of the three, narrowed her eyes as she stared across the table at her friend. "Kagome?" she proffered tersely, noting the miserable look on her face. "...You blew it, didn't you?"

Kagome could only nod despondently.

"KAGOME!!"

"But whyyyyyyyyyyy?!"

"Shame on you!"

"But why, Kagome?!" Ayumi asked her concernedly. "Hojo's the absolute perfect guy---he's hot, he's smart, and he's gentle. WHY didn't you just give him a chance?!"

Kagome shook her head. "I - I just don't know," she replied meekly, tears starting to well up in her eyes, unable to look any of them in the eye. "We - we just didn't click, I guess." That part, at least, had been true. Honestly, if he had just said one more word about that stupid Latin class he was planning on taking-

"You hurt his feelings, didn't you, Kagome?" Eri asked her, grabbing her hand. "What did you do?"

Kagome wiped her eyes with a napkin. "We -well- we stared kissing, and I - I just - just pushed him away."

"But WHY?!"

"I don't know!" Kagome wailed. "I just don't KNOW!" Although she knew damn well why..

"Kagome?" Ayumi suddenly asked, straightening up and giving her a rather piercing stare.

"What?" She looked up at her friend with her already reddening eyes.

"There - there's someone else, isn't there?"

Kagome's heart almost did a backflip. "No! No! Of course not! There isn't anyone else! There isn't! Really!"

She could have sworn she saw Ayumi's eyes narrow in skepticism. "Well, if you say so..."

***

It had been hours since the disastrous episode at the cafe, but still the words rang within Kagome's mind. "There's someone else...there's someone else..." Those words nagged constantly at her, penetrating the most inner recesses of her brain and not allowing her to think of anything else. Ayumi's guess had indeed been shrewd. Uncomfortably shrewd.

"There's someone else...there's someone else..." Yes, there WAS someone else, but not in the way one might expect. The "someone else" in question did not love her in return, nor ever had. Yet that someone still had ripped away a good section of her heart...

She listlessly kicked a pebble as she walked around in the yard; she was quite reluctant to go inside the house, near the prying eyes of her mother, who could read her mood like a book. And besides, that would get Grandpa all riled up; whenever she looked peaked he had a rather bad habit of getting out his so-called herbal remedies and practically poisoning her.

Her eyes slowly fell upon the small shed that held the well that had so often transported her to Inuyasha's time period. Although the mere sight of the well sometimes made her boil with anger or (on bad days) made her burst into tears, the shed had plenty of seclusion and she would not be disturbed while she sat to sort things out. And the sun out here was getting uncomfortably warm...

She stepped into the musty shrine, her feet stirring up clouds of dust as she walked. It was quiet inside; the normal dull roar of traffic and the sounds of the birds calling nearby were totally lost to her ears. It was still and peaceful inside, but uncomfortably so...

Sighing, she climbed down the rickety ladder leading down to where the well stood and sat down on its lip, dangling her legs into the air. Finally, time to think about everything with a clear mind...

(God, I can't believe I DID that last night. What did Hojo ever do to deserve that from me?! It's not HIS fault that Inuyasha betrayed me like that!)

She ground her teeth, her feet scuffling at the dust on the tiled floor. (Inuyasha...Inuyasha...INUYASHA!! All of it goes back to that two-faced pile of dung! He leads my life and thinks nothing of it...not to mention there's the minor thing of him HAVING LIVED FIVE HUNDRED YEARS IN THE PAST!! )

(I bet he's having fun with Kikyo right about now...probably are married and have about ten thousand furry-eared little kids by now. That youkai bastard...)

Her fist pounded against the stone lip of the well, raising a small cloud of dust. (Damn him anyway! I HATE him!! I really do! And I know EXACTLY what I'm gonna do first thing tomorrow...I'm gonna call up Hojo, apologize to him, and then we'll go on a huge date where I'll-)

However, she never did get to think what she would be doing on her date with Hojo, because that was when a massive, grimy, clawed hand decided to grab her from inside the well. Kagome screamed shrilly as it attempted to pull her in; her arms desperately scraped the mortared brick on top as her leg was yanked further and further within. The thing below her snarled and only gripped more tightly; she shuddered as she glimpsed a horned forehead and two merciless, ice-blue eyes burning within the darkness. She had to get away...she had to fight it!

Her right hand barely brushed the edge of the well now; she knew that she could not hold on much longer. Panic suddenly washing over her like the tide, she somehow managed to kick her attacker, somehow bashing it square in the eyes and forcing it to let go and fall further down. Desperately she managed to grip the well's edge more tightly, climbing like a mountain goat up to the top, her breath inhaling and exhaling raggedly as she forced herself over and back onto concrete ground again.

She sprinted towards the door and turned back around to see what was going on, her breath now coming in short bursts, thanking the fates that she had managed to get away. But before she could speculate what was going on or even cry for help...

The monster hurdled out of the well and landed with a thud onto the floor, its eyes glinting in a predatory manner and drool foaming disgustingly out of its mouth. Kagome shrieked again as it shuffled closer and closer to where she stood, her feet seemingly glued to the ground. She could see it quite openly now...The slimy blue scales...the bulky, thrashing tail...the gigantic, muscled arms...this thing was without a doubt a textbook demon, much like the ones that she had seen Inuyasha battle. But Inuyasha (the youkai bastard) wasn't here...and even had she had her fletch of arrows she wouldn't have stood a chance...

The thing drew closer, forcing her back against the wall. She gulped as she could almost taste death, feel its hot, revolting breath against her body...But just as the thing was about to grab her...

For the rest of her days Kagome was never able to quite explain what happened next. She supposed it was her innate powers as a priestess protecting her in a time of peril, but at the time nothing surprised her more than the pure jet of holy light that erupted out of her hand, forcing the demon back and allowing her to run to the opposite side of the room, and away from danger.

The thing was roaring pitifully now; Kagome's holy blast had badly damaged the area around its heart. However, it apparently hadn't been enough to kill, as after a moment it began to once again shuffle towards her, its claws out and greenish teeth bared menacingly. Kagome whimpered as she once again cowered against the lip of the well, as it got closer and closer. It appeared that this was it, her luck would most likely be unable to hold out any longer. She closed her eyes, awaiting the last painful blow, her life flashing past her like sands in an hourglass. Her first bike, primary school with Ayumi, Miss Centipede falling to the ground with a thud, a young monk sucking demons in through a hole in his hand, a certain striking half-demon with doggy ears-

It was then that she realized that her life had been flashing by for an awful long time now, that surely the monster would have struck her down by now...She timidly opened one eye, letting out a squeal of shock when she realized that the thud she heard had been real. There lay the demon, about two feet in front of her, lying facedown on the ground, a pool of dark blood thickening around it. The wounds that she had inflicted upon it must have been fatal after all...

She almost gasped when she noticed that something lay sparkling on the very tip of its horn, which protruded out within arm's length of her. Something unpleasantly familiar...but something that definitely explained her predicament. That "something" was a shard of the Shikkon Jewel.

Her hand quivering uncontrollably, she reluctantly reached out for it, somehow managing to pry it out from a cavity in the demon's horn. She turned it over and over in her hand...it was definitely from the Shikkon Jewel all right; there was no mistaking that frosty, lifeless gleam, or that dark aura she always momentarily felt before she purified it...How the coincidence of the monster getting a shard AND finding the well was AND getting past the wards was beyond her, but it had nevertheless, and it gave her an unpleasant feeling. Like that someone had SENT that thing to cross over dimensions to kill her...

It was at this instant that, again, something happened to Kagome that she was never able to cipher for the rest of her days. Perhaps she was just a little unsteady because of her near-death experience...or maybe it was because she had little or no wiggle room, as she was squatting on the edge of the well. Nevertheless, she never knew how she lost her balance and toppled into it, but that was exactly what she did. And it just so happened that she clutched the Shikkon Jewel as she fell. Maybe it was just an act of coincidence...or perhaps not. Sometimes fate has a way of stepping in when one needs a little push...

***

"Kagome!"

"Unnghhhh..."

"Kagome, please wake up!"

"Mmmmmm..." It was so dark, so pleasant, here, wherever she was...She never wanted to leave this place, ever...

"Kagome!" Someone was slapping her face with a wet cloth, her vaguely familiar voice sounding strained and desperate. "Kagome, can you hear me?!"

"Uhhhhh..." Kagome's eyes fluttered open; she felt confused and disoriented. And her head was pounding like the devil, and come to think of it, so was her ankle... Above her an overhanging lantern, swaying gently, focused in and out of view. Just where was she?!

The vague shape of a woman suddenly floated into view, rudely blocking the lantern light. "Kagome! Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed, kneeling down and clasping her hand. "I thought that you might - you might -" It was then with a start that Kagome realized that she recognized the apprehensive face in front of her---the long black hair, the chocolate brown eyes, the long, thin nose that turned up slightly...It was Sango, her friend...formerly one of her companions in the quest to find the Shikkon Jewel. Sango, whom she'd never thought she'd see again, she thought with a small pang of guilt...

"I thought I would have to fetch Kaede for a moment there!" she was exclaiming, flashing her a rare smile and getting up to her feet. "And when someone needs Kaede it's generally not good news..." She trailed off, her smile replaced with a more solemn expression.

"Sango...where AM I?!" Kagome asked, lifting her head with an effort. "The last I knew, I was falling down the well..."

"Well, that's exactly where I found you," she replied softly, grabbing a kettle and putting it on the fire. "It was lucky I happened to be passing by...you were at the bottom, out cold. You must have been surprised by the fall..."

"I sure was," Kagome said, sitting up in bed, taking advantage of the momentary lull in their conversation to look at her environs. She seemed to be lying on a simple mattress with a few coverlets, customary for beds in the Feudal Era, in a small, cheery kitchen with a remarkably great amount of amenities. A great amount for Feudal Japan, anyway...most of the people in Kaede's village were lucky if they had a mud hut to live in. This place, however, seemed to be a house; a small one, but a house with at least a few rooms nonetheless.

She watched mutely as her friend tended to the fire; Kagome couldn't quite explain it, but the look of her seemed to have changed quite a bit over the three years. Perhaps it was because she looked more feminine, for one thing; the simple cotton shift that she had always worn was now replaced with a beautifully embroidered kimono made of what looked like silk. And there was also the way she wore her hair; she usually wore it down past her shoulders, but it was now swept into a twist, held together with an ornate seashell barrette that looked very old. Or maybe it was just because she had matured overall; she was actually only a year older than Kagome...

"Kaede's village, you said?" Kagome questioned after a moment. "Does that mean we're still near the well?"

Sango turned to stare at her thoughtfully. "We live right near the well, actually," she explained. "You can almost see it from the clearing." She paused for a moment, suddenly showing a shadow of anger. "But you're not going anywhere, Kagome!" she remonstrated, glaring at her. "Not until we catch up with everything, and not in your condition, at any rate!"

Kagome, who in all honesty had not even thought about leaving, could only nod meekly. Sango's temper was not to be reckoned with, if her usual reaction to Miroku's constant peeping and grabbing was any indication, But that wasn't exactly her primary worry at the moment...what on earth had Sango meant by "we?"

"Here." Sango, having bent down to the makeshift bed, was shoving a small cup of freshly-brewed tea into her hands. "This should get you to feeling better." She paused as Kagome lifted her head to take a sip. "What happened to you, anyway? You look like you were in quite a battle. There's blood on your clothes, and-"

Her question, however, was rudely interrupted when suddenly a pitter-patter of little feet and the cries of "Mama!" were to be heard. Kagome almost jumped out of her skin when from out of a doorway ahead ran a little girl with plaited black hair and a cute round face. "Mama!" she continued to exclaim, running up to Sango and staring at Kagome almost fearfully, clinging to her skirt. "Who's THAT?!"

"That's just a friend of mine, Kyoko," Sango replied soothingly, hoisting the little girl up into her arms. "Kyoko, this is Kagome," she remembered to add, gesturing to the bed-ridden girl. "And Kagome, meet my daughter, Kyoko." This she said rather proudly...

Kagome was practically speechless. Sango, having children?! This was akin to seeing Inuyasha in a dress...odd, weird, and overall hard to imagine. What other surprises were going to jump out at her now that she had returned?! She peered at the child curiously...she DID look a lot like Sango, but also like someone else...someone who she couldn't quite put her finger on...The eyes were strangely familiar, for starters...

"I'm sorry, she's a little shy," Sango was saying apologetically, putting her down and allowing her to scamper out of the room. "She's not used to strangers."

Kagome stared at the door, feeling utterly intrigued. "So who's the Daddy?" she asked Sango rather wickedly, an evil smirk spreading across her face, causing Sango to flush girlishly.

"Why don't you guess?" she giggled in an un-Sangolike way.

Kagome had to think for a minute. "Um...well...is it a guy from this village?" was what she managed to come up with first, feeling chagrined when Sango shook her head devilishly.

"No!"

"Uhhhh...a guy from the village next to this one?" was what she guessed next, feeling uncreative.

"Heavens, no!" she giggled, flushing even more. "They're all bald!" She paused for a moment, trying to come up with a decent clue. "Kagome, you KNOW this man!" she finally exclaimed. "It's the most obvious thing in the world!"

Kagome was stumped. "Eeergh...Sesshomaru?" she spat out, her lack of inspiration really starting to annoy her.

Sango rolled her eyes. "No!"

Kagome decided that since Sango was unwilling to tell her without a fight, she was going to with insanely stupid combinations. "Oh, I know! Jaken!"

"Is that even possible, Kagome?"

"Or maybe Naraku kidnapped you-"

"Eeeeeeeuuuuwwww! NO!"

"Well, then...what about the Thunder Brothers?"

"Who are THEY?!"

"Oh, I know! I've got it! I've got it! Shippo!"

"Kagome...that - that's - disgusting!"

"Well, just tell me already, then!"

"All right, all right! It's-"

"Sango-chan! Where are you?" The cheerful voice suddenly cut through her reply, making Kagome grit her teeth in frustration. Damn whoever had decided to intrude - but, come to think of it, that whoever sounded awfully familiar---

"Oh, there you are, Sango-chan! I thought you were-" Kagome almost wet her pants in shock when Miroku suddenly walked through the doorway, looking much the same as he ever had, with his dark blue monk's robe and matching gold staff. Although he too had matured... And he also had this weird new spring in his step, almost like he had had a lot of-

She had to stick her fist into her mouth to keep herself from screaming in horror.

Meanwhile, Sango had walked over to him, scolding him angrily, "Will you stop calling me that?!" She shook her head in exasperation. "You and your stupid pet-names..."

He grinned sheepishly. "I apologize if I've offended...Sango-chan."

"GRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

Kagome could stand it no longer. "Oh my GOD!!" she burst out, feeling faintly nauseated. "Sango, you were actually insane enough to have children with HIM?!"

Author's Note: Phew, I hope that wasn't too much information in one chapter. At any rate, if any of you are wondering where Inuyasha and Shippo are right now, well...they're coming! You'll have to wait a bit longer for Inuyasha, but when he shows up, trust me, he will do so with a bang!

Please review... I would like to know that you exist! :)

And, of course, a sneak peek of chapter three:

"That was no coincidence," he said simply as soon as she paused, out of breath. "I'm sure of it. I know all about those wards you put up, for one thing; we tried to break them ourselves not long after you left."

"So you DID try to come after me?"

"We tried, but they were too powerful. At any rate..." He paused to think for a moment. "It is very likely that Naraku sent that demon to retrieve you. He has been quiet for some time, and-"

Kagome's widened in shock. "What, Naraku's still ALIVE?!" she gasped, staring at Miroku incredulously.