InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Past, Her Present, Their Future ❯ Tenrai ( Chapter 38 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: No own InuYasha. Chapter means divine or heaven-sent.


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His Past, Her Present, Their Future
Chapter 38 - Tenrai

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“Wait for me!” she cried, her arms trying to grasp out.

“Forever…” the deep baritone murmured, his lack of expression belayed by the infinite sadness in his eyes.

And so she was gone. Kiyoi could hardly breathe as she came back to herself, darkness of a familiar place oppressive. She sobbed quietly late into the night, waiting for her price-turned-king to rescue her from her own crushing despair.

That day would never come.

--

“Kagome-chan?” a muffled voice called, bringing the onyx-haired girl from her early morning daze. She finally took in the steady knocking at her front door and sighed, skirting her desk and bounding through her living room. Her apartment was small, but Kagome thought it was the perfect size for her.

She pulled open the door and smiled, “Hi Ayumi,” she said with a grin that never quite reached her eyes. Ayumi was used to this and stepped into the apartment, holding out a jewel case to her friend.

“I brought it back. It’s amazing, Kagome, but the ending was so terribly sad!”

Her friend was referring to the fifth in a series of books, which also coincided with the end of Kagome’s journey. She had finished it a week ago, and given the disk to Ayumi to read over, just as she had both her other books. The girl had always been a sucker for a romance novel.

“I just thought it was fitting,” Kagome mumbled, putting on water for tea.

“It was heart-wrenching! The whole series I kept telling you I loved it, and you just knocked my socks off with every new installment! How long do I have to wait for the next book?”

“There won’t be another.”

“WHAT?!” her friend screeched, practically leaping over the breakfast bar and grabbing Kagome’s arm, “You can’t end it there!”

Kagome rolled her eyes and stared at the kettle…stupid thing, taking so long. She didn’t want to be having this conversation, “Do you have your comment notebook?” Kagome veered.

“Of course I do, why else would I be allowed to read before your publisher?” Ayumi scolded, with a deep frown, “You’re going to have a lot of pissed off readers if you leave the series there.”

Ayumi was the only one of Kagome’s old friends she still spoke to. The others had given up on her over the years she was ‘ill’; even Hojou had eventually moved on. After her return only Ayumi had remained, and the two were very close. They shared everything with one another, and lived in the same apartment building.

It had been three years since she had returned. Three years of near solitude for Kagome in which she took college courses in creative writing and history to make her able to write her books. Her series, ‘Lost in Time’, was a major seller across Japan, and had been picked up rather quickly after the first book was finished due to its originality. It had even been translated into English, but it didn’t sell very well overseas until the most recent book, which had been getting a lot of attention in previous weeks.

Now she had finished her final book, and she was left wondering exactly what she would do now. Writing had been her sanity, but coming to the end and still no Sesshoumaru weighed heavily on her shoulders. She had hoped to have, by now, a different ending to add. She had stalled in the last books production as long as she could according to her contract, but now she had no choice.

“Kagome?” a voice infiltrated her reverie, and she looked into the concerned eyes of her best friend.

“Its nothing,” she said sheepishly, smiling her vacant smile.

Ayumi sighed and put an hand lightly on her friends shoulder, “When will you ever tell me why you are so sad, Kagome? All these years and you never tell me! You can’t play it off on your sickness’ you had in high school anymore, you’ve been healthy for years now.”

“Well…” Kagome pushed off her friends comforting hand and set the tea to steep, walking into the living room with the two cups. It was times like this she was tempted to tell, tempted to blurt out how her books were real, that she was that girl, that she was the one still waiting for her love to return. That she had crossed over through Japanese history and saved the world from evil, fallen in love twice, found her destiny.

But she never did. She never could. She couldn’t stand that look she knew her friend would get in her eyes, the one that was meant to be understanding but was actually pity. Not pity for her hardships, but for her sanity. The look that showed they thought her mind too addled from her years of ‘sickness’ and that she had obviously gone off the deep end. So instead she smiled again, “Its just too hard, Ayumi. When it stops hurting, I’ll tell you,” she lied blatantly. She didn’t care, she had been lying to this entire world for years now. Not like it mattered.

Her friend sighed heavily, “I’ll be here when you’re ready. Mind if I stay here and we can go to school together? Kouro-sensei said he had a special announcment today.”

The long-haired girl nodded and sipped the still too hot beverage, “I wonder what that old coot has up his sleeve now.”

“Probably another outing…he’s such an eccentric old man. Rambling on about youkai and mononoke all the time.”

Kagome smiled wryly, her expression hidden by her cup. The fact that she knew the old teacher had it right was what made her take his class for the third semester in a row. He never taught the same things, and he always argued for the existence of youkai in history. Kagome was often the only student standing beside him on his beliefs.

Ayumi pulled out the notebook she kept while reading Kagome’s story and handed it over, and the two spent a good couple of hours going over it. She was not a proof reader, she simply asked wrote down any questions she didn’t feel were answered, or things that didn’t make enough sense. If it didn’t make sense to her friend’s astute mind, it probably wouldn’t to the majority of readers either. Ayumi’s help was invaluable.

Kagome took notes of her own while they talked, going over things she would have to elaborate on or tweak. She liked this to happen before it went to her editor, so that she didn’t have to deal with him trying to change the plot around. He was always trying that anyway, but she preferred to give him less reasons to try. This was her story, and whether the world believed it fiction or not she was going to tell it. She would immortalize InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Rin, and Sesshoumaru forever, even if it was seen as a novel.

The books were detailed accounts of all major events, several large less important chunks aside, a chronicle of her life from the day she fell through the well, her adventures to defeat Naraku, her love for InuYasha, and finally moving onto her story with Sesshoumaru. Most of that story was in her current book, the one Ayumi had just finished. All about her journey with him for the collection of the Shikon, her trip back in time even farther, and back to present day.

Her mother hated the books. She hadn’t thought of such a repercussion when she had began writing. She spared no gory detail, no injury. She had been unfazed to share the details of Naraku’s almost rape of her, her multiple abductions, the Kuromiko Tsubake controlling her mind, her seclusion in the cave and near death, the time she had been speared through the shoulder and hip by tentacles and nearly died… after all, no one knew it wasn’t fiction, so why should she be ashamed?

Then, after her fourth book hit its fourth week in the first spot on the booksellers lists, her mother had felt compelled to read. She had never shown interest before, considering she ‘knew’ everything that had happened. There had been a review in the paper that had sparked her interest, talking of the tragic, pain and death filled installment of the series. She hadn’t told Kagome when she picked up the books to read, but once she had finished the fourth she had gotten the screaming out of a lifetime.

Of course she had never told her mother of the true dangers she faced daily. She would have had to of been a fool to divulge it. It would have caused her to worry more than she needed to at best, and would have kept her mother from allowing her return at worst. Neither had been appetizing so she had never told her. When she was injured, she stayed away and feigned they had been on the other side of the country traveling until she was well enough to cross over without question.

Her mother had been more furious than Kagome could ever remember seeing her, and refused to let the past be. She had wept and screamed at Kagome alternately, asking her how she could have stayed back there if all those terrible things had been happening to her. She couldn’t understand Kagome’s devotion to her friends, or her sense of duty. She kept blaming herself for allowing Kagome to go in the first place, even though the younger woman had cried right back that she would have gone anyway.

That was only a few months ago, and they were finally just now beginning to mend their relationship. It was difficult, but knowing the well was likely permanently sealed had given the woman peace of mind. Even at her adult age, her mother was still very protective. She hadn’t even wanted her to move out two years ago, but Kagome had needed to.

Kagome and Ayumi started off for Ayumi’s car, ready to go to class. The class centered around mythology and folklore, and its presence in history. Kagome loved going to that class, and never missed it. She wasn’t planning on getting a degree, she simply took classes she wanted to take. She had a nice amount of money in savings from her books, and knew she could push out a few more based on the ‘characters’ in her books if she needed the money. But for now she had enough for her to live comfortably for nearly a decade without hassle, so she didn’t worry overmuch. She had very meager tastes and didn’t frivolously spend.

They arrived in class, but Kagome’s mind wasn’t on the lecture. This week was the third anniversary of her return, and it always tore down her spirits and attention span. Not a twinge of youki, not a glimpse of abnormal hair, eyes, or fangs. Nothing. She was alone now, with no one but her mother and brother to share in reminiscences of a dog-eared hanyou boy and trips into a land forgotten.

Her grandfather had passed a few months after her return, and she had stayed with her mother while she mourned. It didn’t take long before she was talking about moving out, though. She couldn’t stand to be there, glimpse the well house, see the still-familiar shrine and its memories. The god-tree was the worst. Goshinboku brought back far too many memories, and even just a glance at its permanently scarred bark would make her burst into tears.

So she had gotten her own apartment and a part-time job while she wrote her first book, alone most of the time. She had reunited with Ayumi in college, as well as Eri and Yuka, but both the latter were just too frivolous and immature for Kagome to handle. Ayumi had seemed to be the only one who grew up since high school, and who didn’t bother pestering her on the fate of her ‘two-timing boyfriend’. The only mention of Sesshoumaru was once when Ayumi had come across her weeping, simply telling the girl that the love of her life had gone the same way his brother had.

But Ayumi knew not to press her, and simply offered her camaraderie. That was exactly what Kagome needed, and cherished her friend. Even in her infinite sadness, Ayumi was like a light for her. She had no memories of her adventures and so wouldn’t accidentally slip into conversation about it like her mother, and as much she loved her family she just couldn’t handle that most of the time.

Class was already dismissing, and Kagome was dismayed to see she had bee zoning out the entire hour of class. She blushed and put her notebook back into her bag, swearing under her breath. She had chipper conversation with her friend, but feigned a stomachache to be able to go home. She laid on her bed in silence for hours, simply recounting her life before that point, until darkness finally fell over Tokyo, taking Kagome into dreams with it.

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Daylight fell harshly into Kagome‘s eyes, and she squinted into in angrily. A cool breeze made her shiver, “Huh?” she muttered, sitting up slowly. Kagome’s head was spinning, her vision blurred, “Wasn’t I sleeping in my bed? How did I…” she gasped as she looked around. She was in the well’s clearing, just as it had been the last time she’d seen it years ago. Tears swam in her eyes and she choked back a sob. Why would her mind be so cruel as to dream of this place after so long?

She stood and went to the well, looking into its depths with sad eyes. A million trips between eras played out in her head, ‘oswari’s to InuYasha when he was being difficult and not letting her go. The sob finally escaped and she clung to the well’s rim, “Why now? Gods, I can’t keep reliving all this for the rest of my life…InuYasha…Sesshoumaru…all my friends…what wouldn’t I give to see them again?”

“Keh, crying again, wench?”

Kagome spun to meet the golden eyes of her first love, his smile bright and genuine. She rushed to him, squeezing him with all her might, “At least if I’m going to dream of this place, I can have you in it too.”

“This may be a dream, but I’m really here, you know, and hanyou or not I need to breath!”

Kagome stepped back and gasped, “Inu…Yasha?”

“That’s my name, had you forgotten?”

She smacked him across the chest with a grin, “You came…I thought you had forgotten me, since you never visited me after that first time…”

“Like I could forget you, wench. Sit with me, huh?”

Kagome nodded emphatically and dropped across from her eternally red-clad friend, looking at him with misty eyes, “Why did you come now?”

He shrugged, “Keh, do I need a reason to see you?”

She smiled sadly and put a hand to his cheek, “You’ve changed, but its good. Your smiles…their real now…”

He smirked, “Being on the right end of the spirit realm can do that for you.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide, “You mean, you didn’t get stuck in hell?”

“I guess that I was willing to sacrifice myself for everything we did and to let Kikyou‘s soul rest, I earned a pass to the better place. Kikyou…” he looked sad for the first time, “She wasn’t so lucky. But I’ve learned the things she did, and I can’t say I argue on the decision. The times she tried to hurt you…the people she harmed while walking the earth the second time…” he broke off, his eyes shining deceptively bright, “She basically cancelled out all the good deeds she did in her real life.”

Kagome fidgeted, “I’m sorry,” she paused, not knowing what to say before saying lamely, “So, other than that, you are happy, then?”

“I’ll be happier once you can join me, it’s boring with no one to fight with.”

“Will you visit me more often from now on, InuYasha?”

He looked to the ground for a minute, “I will when I can…it wouldn’t be good for you for me to come too often. It is all you did, the sacrifices to your life to help the past that allows these visits, but I don‘t want you to…you know…”

“I wouldn’t take it for granted, or live for this place…I just feel more complete to know that I have my best friend out there.”

“Keh,” he said, blushing and turning away.

“InuYasha?”

“What, wench?”

“Do you…do you know if Sesshou is still alive?”

InuYasha’s jaw dropped.


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A/N: Sorry, I cut it off here, because it was getting WAY WAY WAY too long. So, next chapter will continue it. ;) The next chapter is actually done, but not edited…so you have to wait a day or two. It was either wait and post both, or post this now. Hope ya’ll don’t mind. Bwahaha. Anway. I LOVE YOU!

Again: THANK YOU everyone for your support of this story. From one time reviewers, to those of you who have left me dozens, you all make me so happy. This story started out as just a whim, an idea that wouldn’t get out of my head, and now it’s a titan that has given me almost 250 reviews on SS, nearly 150 on FF, and maybe someday 100 on MM. I can’t believe the response for this! I am so glad others enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

Enough gushing! We’re SERIOUSLY winding down here, people.