InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lying From You ❯ Journey Begins Anew ( Chapter 34 )

Chapter 34: Journey Begins Anew

Kagome hugged her mother and then walked out of the house. She waved 'goodbye' to her grandfather and Souta as she began walking towards the old shrine that housed the Honekui well. Inu Yasha was already waiting for her in the shrine, tapping his foot impatiently as she seemed to dawdle with all the time in the world.

Kagome entered the shrine with a heavy sigh. "I'm ready to go… no matter what happens."

Inu Yasha smiled as he watched Kagome lean over the well. "You'll find him, I am sure of it, Kagome…"

Kagome nodded and pushed herself over the side of the well. This life in the past, she decided, was better than any life that she would fake in the future. It was only when she was in this world that she felt truly alive. She knew very well that she'd never be able to live the rest of her life with anyone from her time-they would never believe all of what she had been through. It just wouldn't be the same and certainly would not feel right to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru… She had to find Sesshoumaru. Where he was, however, was far beyond her guess. She pulled herself out of the well and looked back down into the well, wondering why Inu Yasha had not come through the well yet. [Probably talking to Kikyo, I'm sure… ugh…]

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Inu Yasha moved to jump into the well when he heard the shrine's door creak open. He turned around, expecting to see Kikyo. However, he had no idea who this boy was, but he did seem rather angry. The boy moved forward, closer to Inu Yasha, staring at him in disbelief. "Where did Kagome go? I saw her come in here-where is she?"

Inu Yasha held perfectly still, as though if he held still enough, the boy would go away. He didn't. Inu Yasha tried to move past the boy without jumping over him or pushing him down, but the boy did not move. Finally, Inu Yasha decided to call for help. "Kikyo!"

Kikyo seemed to take her time getting into the small shrine. She peered inside and immediately understood why Inu Yasha had called for her. The boy had tried to visit Kagome several times while she was gone. He was the one that had walked her home earlier. "Hojo-kun, what are you doing in here?"

Hojo looked back at Kagome's doctor and then pointed accusingly at Inu Yasha. "This guy has done something with Kagome! I saw them, Kagome was wearing and olden time kimono and was carrying a bow and some arrows! I want to know where she went!"

Kikyo moved forward and placed a comforting hand on Hojo's shoulder. "Don't fret-she's in here, but she's trying to meditate. It would be best for her if you left now."

Hojo nodded in slow understanding. He followed Kikyo out of the shrine, leaving Inu Yasha alone next to the well. Inu Yasha scratched the back of his head for a moment, remembering some of the many things that Kagome had told him about Hojo, a classmate of hers. [Geez, that guy is way too thick-headed for his own good…]

Moments later, Kikyo returned, giving Inu Yasha the go-ahead to leave. Inu Yasha leapt into the well and the jumped out in his own time. When he came out, he was greeted by Kagome's angry glare. "You just couldn't resist being able to talk to Kikyo, could you?"

Inu Yasha held his hands up in the air as an innocent gesture. "It wasn't my fault that Hojo came running into the shrine!"

Kagome's angry gaze lightened and she began to laugh. "How did you manage to get out of that one?"

[I guess this means she doesn't hate me…] Inu Yasha chuckled nervously as he glanced back down at the well. "Actually, Kikyo was the one… She told him that you were in there meditating-he believed it!"

Kagome laughed as she continued through the forest, taking in all of the sights much the same way as when she entered this forest for the first time. She smiled back at Inu Yasha as they reached the edge of the village. "So, is Sayaka okay? I mean, Kikyo told me that she took sick…"

Inu Yasha shrugged, though a certain flicker of concern could be seen in his eyes. "It's just a little cold from being stuck in that dungeon for so long… We made up a remedy, so she should be fine by now."

"Inu Yasha…" A sly grin made its way across Kagome's face. "Do you like Sayaka?"

Inu Yasha's face reddened for a moment as he found himself unable to answer Kagome's question. "Well… I'm not quite sure… I mean, I don't even know her that well… and… well, she does seem nice…"

Kagome smiled as they stood outside Kaede's hut. "Good. I'd have expected no more, no less."

Inu Yasha stared at Kagome, confused. "Huh?"

Kagome looked back to Inu Yasha after she had peeked into the window of the hut. "If you would have said that you knew for sure already, then I would know that you'd be lying. You've only known her for a short time, it takes longer than that to discover whether or not you really like a person. Also, to say that you aren't the least bit interested in someone who shares so much in common with you would either mean that it's a total lie or that you're a spiteful jerk. But, you aren't!"

Inu Yasha found himself blushing at Kagome's compliment and her dazzling smile that followed. He followed after her as she entered the old hut and sat next to Sayaka's bed. Sayaka was still laying down, but Inu Yasha could tell by her scent that she was well again. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she wasn't going to suffer through illness anymore.

As though on cue, Sayaka opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before her sleep-fogged eyes were able to focus and see Inu Yasha and Kagome sitting next to her. As she drew in a ragged breath, she sat upright with a faint smile on her lips. She remembered that she began feeling sick nearly as soon as they reached this small village. Inu Yasha and the houshi went into the forest, gathered some herbs, and then gave them to the old miko to make a remedy for her symptoms. She remembered that in spite of her illness, she felt happy, knowing that these people, Inu Yasha especially, actually worried over her. Even her father would not have worried as much over her. [Father never worried…]

She saw that Kagome was holding her bow and arrows and that Sango's Hiraikotsu was no longer resting in the corner of the hut. She knew that everyone else was waiting on her. She smiled innocently as she pushed the old, tattered bed cover off of herself. "Sorry… Everyone is waiting on me…"

Inu Yasha shook his head slowly, his voice soothing as he spoke, "You don't need to apologize, Sayaka. Kagome just got here and Sango and Miroku have gone out to… ahem, talk."

Sayaka smiled and then gasped in surprise when she saw a small reddish blur run into the room. When the movement stopped, Sayaka saw a kitsune cub had found its way into Kagome's arms. Even though Sayaka could tell that the boy was full-blooded yokai, it seemed as though he held a special bond with the human girl.

"Kagome! I… I thought you were dead!" The boy looked up into Kagome's eyes with his own tearful orbs. He held tight to Kagome, whom he considered his surrogate mother.

Kagome smiled at the boy, her blue eyes softening as she stroked the boy's hair to calm him. "Shippo-chan… shh… it's okay…"

Sayaka watched Kagome, surprised that the girl had so much patience with the child. As soon as he stopped crying, the boy began to throw out a barrage of questions. Kagome quietly answered as many as she was able until she finally became tired of explaining everything to the boy. Finally Inu Yasha stood, facing the door. "We have to leave now… We shouldn't waste time like this… he could still be in critical condition."

Kagome looked up, an expression so serious had never before been seen on her face as was now. She set Shippo down and moved her hand over her bow's staff. "You're right… Sayaka-chan, are you able to travel with us, or would you rather stay and rest?"

Sayaka was quick to stand, though doing so made her somewhat dizzy. She blushed as she felt Inu Yasha's supportive hand on the lumbar curvature of her back. She returned his gestured with a warm smile as she mumbled, "I'll manage…"

Kagome grinned and gestured for Shippo to follow her out of the hut. The boy leapt to Kagome's shoulder and whispered into her ear, "Aren't you mad at Inu Yasha for being with another woman like that? He's treating her like Kikyo!"

"Shippo-chan, Inu Yasha-sama and I are only friends, nothing more. We decided that it was better that way." Kagome stifled a giggled as she added with excitement, "Besides, don't you just think that those two were made for each other?"

The boy sighed and looked ahead of them, seeing a young girl talking to Kaede. Shippo looked on, a pink blush on his young cheeks as he quietly inquired, "Kagome-chan, do you know who she is?"

Kagome looked in the direction that Shippo was pointing to see a rather familiar brown-eyed girl. "Rin-chan!"

The young girl turned around to see a strange girl running to her and waving. Something about the older girl seemed familiar, but she wasn't quite sure what. She was quick to realize that this was the member of Inu Yasha's group that she had noticed missing before, but had been too shy to ask about.

Kagome knelt down and hugged the little girl, Sesshoumaru's surrogate daughter. "Rin-chan, don't you remember Kana-chan? I am her!"

The girl seemed confused for a moment, but realized that this girl's mannerisms were the same as those of the hanyou girl she had known. The young girl returned the hug to the elder girl whom she had begun to miss. "Kana-chan, where is Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Kagome gulped when she tried to think of a way to answer the child. "Well… umm… He is away right now, but we're going to go get him, Rin-chan."

Shippo began to speak, but as he saw Kagome's pleading expression, decided that he had something else to say. "Ano… My name is Shippo…"

Rin's eyes lit at the prospect of a new playmate. She quickly grabbed hold of Shippo's tiny hand and led him away from the two miko. Kaede watched as the two children began to play happily together, ignorant of the trouble that lay ahead of their older friends. "Kaede-sama, will you be able to watch of Rin and Shippo for a little while longer?"

The old woman turned her gaze to Kagome, who seemed somewhat different since she had returned two days before. The girl before her was even stronger and more determined than ever before. Miroku had explained much of what had gone on while they had been on their travels, but Kaede could still barely fathom that Kagome had fallen in love with the demon lord. "Kagome-chan, this old woman loves nothing more than children and these two seem especially kind and respectful of their elders. They will cause no more trouble than any of the other children of the village. As a matter of fact, most of the human children in this village have come to accept Shippo as a playmate even though he is a yokai."

Kagome nodded. "It's good to hear that… I was worried that he might not get along with them, but I also know that he is a very outgoing boy… He can make friends very easily."

"Kagome-chan! Are you ready?" Sango stood next to Miroku and Kirara at the edge of the forest.

Kagome nodded as she ran to her two friends and glanced back just in time to see Inu Yasha and Sayaka following shortly behind her. Finally, she was going out with all of her friends on a journey. This was the journey to end all of their ventures involving the Shikon jewel, hopefully, and to find the man that she loved. All of her nonstop worrying would finally be answered upon when she saw him once more. How she longed to look once more into his golden eyes and feel the warmth of his spirit that seemed to envelop her heart at times.

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A.N. Well, that's it for this chapter! ^_^ Sorry that I've been so terribly slow between updates… but, I did finally get an interview at Suncoast, so maybe I'll get the job and be able to finally afford more anime DVDs! ^_^ I've also managed to read Ranma ½ in its entirety over the past several weeks, so as you may well be able to tell, my mind hasn't been totally focused on Inu Yasha.

For those of you who will be glued to your seats for several hours praying that I'll find it in my schedule to have the next chapter up before you decide that you're too hungry to continue staring at the screen without running to the fridge for a cup of ramen, I'm sorry. I won't have the next update up for at least several more days, if that fast. But hey, a girl has got to carry her weight eventually, right? (Two jobs ought to take care of all of my one-hundred and twenty-six pounds, right? Right???)

Ja ne,

Ryoko Yuy / V Shape Otaku