InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Elsewhere ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: flowers

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha nor am I profiting from this.

“I love the time and in between
the calm inside me
in the space where I can breathe
I believe there is a
distance I have wandered
to touch upon the years of
reaching out and reaching in
holding out holding in”

- Sarah MacLachlan, Elsewhere

Chapter Two

And so the days passed as usual with the exception of the morning and evening walks. The conversation between Kagome and those whelps came a little too close for comfort. He enjoyed his secrets even today with no one to truly care about them.

Summer pushed its way through the spring-softened soil and now was the time for her “vacation”. This vacation would be different. No enchanted well to keep her gone for weeks on end and no high school awaiting her at the afterward.

Soon he would step out from light and shadow to reveal himself. Still he was hesitant. Emotions that were now allowed to surface and wash over him were still unidentifiable for the most part. The music of this particular age was quite bewitching and helped him decipher these mysterious compulsions at times.

He sneered at himself behind the god tree. Humans assisting him yet again in understanding his heart. He almost comprehended his father’s strange fascination. How intriguing that humans knew more about these conditions than youkai. The Gods were cruel and just in their lessons.

She stepped out into the light of summer sun. The school uniform now put away for good and the last physical memory was laid to rest. She sighed full and comfortably. Her long skirt was cool in the breeze. Time does heal. Her friends were on their way to help her choose a university suitable for her profession.

Even with her grades being up and down she did well on the finals and her idea of going into the medical profession had bloomed forth with acceptance letters from five different universities, even one in Europe! Her mother would truly be heartbroken but happy for her if she chose that one. She felt as if she would end up choosing the university most of her friends would be attending on the other side of the city.

This 'friendly' visit wasn’t to help her choose but mostly for them to try and convince her that their school would be best. It would be the perfect university to attend. Close enough but not too far away and the comfort of her friends close by. The medical department wasn’t shabby either; she hoped to attend through junior and graduate school. With the choice already made the thought of her friends faces as she feigned indecision would be priceless.

“Ha, this is going to be entertaining,” she smiled into the warm healing sun. Only the sun and moon at looked down on her with memories of her entire life. They had been there through everything and at last this comforted her instead of setting fire to longing.

His eyes scanned her, the long blue skirt, the sleeveless shirt, her scent finally free of salt and grief. She wasn’t wearing her uniform and this almost surprised him. No longer did she look petite and childish.

“Finally…” he thought to himself. He was ready to approach her. To confront her and be at peace with himself. Showing up too early would only deepen her grief so he chose instead to watch her, as he had been for years.

He was there for her birth, first steps, first day of school, he was always lingering at the edge of her life. It was a bit stressful that he couldn’t make himself a part of it all, as he had with Rin and every child, grandchild, and great grandchild of her line. Instead he found himself lavishing those human children with everything he had felt the need to bestow on Kagome; presents, holidays, and a good life free from poverty.

Interrupting her life wasn't permissible, interfering would have upset the balance. At least not until now. She was his Rin all over again, bright intelligent eyes, obedient and curious. Obedience of course waning with latter years, just as Rin. A child once more that he never had. Kagome was different though. Being almost the same station as a man in this century her mind grew and blossomed, tendered with school and experiences Rin couldn’t have had.

Boyfriends, school dances, love letters, and then Inuyasha. He smiled inwardly thinking about her first trip into the well and those to follow. She had healed her brother’s heart and awakened her own to romantic love. Romance was a rather new concept in these centuries. It was no longer sense of duty and station. He prided himself by never being stricken with it.

He had been extremely intrigued and surprised one day as she burst forth from the well, his own scent lingering on her slightly. She had met his younger self, no doubt, at the grave of his father. His heart sank with the expression on her face; he had been none too kind.

“Men!” she huffed as he heard her scramble to the floor then burst from the structure in a very ridged gait to her house. At that moment he wanted badly to jump into the well and teach himself an important lesson. It would have fell on deaf ears, ideas that his father had already laid to rest with his own demise.

He would have never listened then, only a little girl would begin to melt the ice of his heart. Even in his youth he was intrigued by the weak little miko and her obscene dress.

His introspection was interrupted by the clamor of three girls as they made their way to Kagome’s side. “Yo! Kagome, I see you are already thinking, we’ll help you make the correct choice, worry no more!”

“Damn…” lost in his own ridiculous thoughts he missed his chance yet perhaps this was better. Showing himself at that time would have meant meeting these noisy humans as well. Quick as a flash he launched himself in the higher branches of the tree. Kagome froze, hair bristling on her neck.

“What’s wrong Kagome-Chan?” one of her friends implored as she roughly brushed aside a pamphlet to the “best” school in Tokyo. She shot up and rushed to the god tree. Instinctively he froze. His heart slowing to almost stillness. If he weren’t careful to gage his reaction to being detected his controlled youki would flare and definitely let her know something was amiss.

She longingly searched the branches, every leaf and even the bark. She had seen it, a flash of white so fast she was sure that only her heightened sense of movement would have caught it. Kaede had trained her; this would keep her better protected when Inuyasha wasn’t around….

“Inuyasha?” her voice caught painfully in her throat. Sesshoumaru knew of course that she couldn’t see him. He was far too skilled. Yet there was a strange pang in his heart. Her face seemed to calm and she smiled. Why did she smile? “I’m going crazy…” she mumbled to herself as the girls caught up with her.

“What? That old boyfriend of yours? I thought you said he moved away! And why would he be in your tree? Was he a stalker?” questions flooded her ears and she smiled back at them, feeling herself slowly being pulled into reality. He was gone, she had accepted it. Enough of this pain. She was over with it.

He felt his heart beat once and he pulled a breath into his constricted lungs. Why did he even care if she found him? Was he comfortable with watching her from a distance for the rest of her life? No, confrontation would be tonight. He had lingered at the edge long enough. Attention was brought back to her as she sat, knees to face on the ground and cried softly with her friends hovering and trying to comfort. The salt stung his nose again.

Before his eyes, and for the first time, she let out her heart's desires. She told them about Inuyasha and her friends of old, even the kitsune. Of course leaving out that this was in the past and trying to put a modern twist to it. She told them of the last battle and instead of the jewel story, she told them that the fight got Inuyasha into trouble and he had to move out of country with his brother Sesshoumaru. How strange it was to hear his true name in the open. And even stranger to hear it rolling off her tongue without fear or loathing.

“I thought his brother hated him,” one of the girls pointed out. She had apparently spoken of all this before then. He was deeply interested in the twist of plot and storyline. “Yeah, and what a gruesome name. Who would name their child something like that?”

"Now what kind of question is that to ask while Kagome-chan is crying with a broken heart?!" another friend chastised.

Kagome lifted her head and smiled. “They both come from a very old and royal family of some kind. That’s not the strangest name I’ve ever heard in those circles. At the end he helped Inuyasha and I guess they came to a truce, even after Inuyasha took off his arm by accident. I just hope…that he’s… safe there,” she said tears again filling her eyes.

It took him a second to realize she was talking about Inuyasha, detecting a familiar emotion welling up inside. She worried if Sesshoumaru would hurt him. He had to approach her and lay those fears to rest. Yet not now, when the rabble exits.

After a long and heated discussion she excused herself for a much-deserved nap. She was drained but somehow felt much better after letting this pain and longing out into the open. She had almost forgot how to express her feelings and this had been helpful.

With a sigh she collapsed on the pink sheets of her childhood bed.

He leapt up to her window. She looked so peaceful and eternally young. At that moment he almost found himself wishing he were her father, or maybe human and unknown to her so he could put her fears to rest, he wished he were her brother so he could comfort her with words and have that connection. “Hmn…” he sighed softly, he almost wished he were Inuyasha to quiet her fears.

She woke with a start. It had been the same dream, dark and foreboding. She would give anything to know if he were alive and safe. But of course he isn’t alive in this time. He had turned human, he was long gone. She cried softly into her pillow, emotion rubbing her senses raw. She stopped after some time and looked to her window. It was dark and the house was quiet with late evening turning to night. Stars peppered across the summer sky but... Something was wrong.

The window was open.

“Open…” she let the word trail and the hope rise. Sitting up quickly she rubbed her eyes as blood rushed to her toes. How long had she slept? No matter though. She stood and slowly made her way downstairs and to the front door. Pausing and forgetting to slip shoes on, she swung the door open and night bloomed forth in response.

Stepping out onto the cool grass she instantly thought of her shoes then froze, there was slight noise. Carefully she moved toward the sound. It was coming from the god tree.

Cautiously she made her way. One slow foot in front of the other letting her heart swell, not caring if it were a robber or rapist.

He slipped easily from the shadow and she knew then that it was worse than either.
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