InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox: The Power of Letting Go ❯ What Things Are ( Chapter 2 )

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

Disclaimer: InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan Inc. and Viz Media.

Story and all original characters created are owned by me.

What Things Are

-x-x-x-x-

“InuYasha… you have to…” Kagome swallowed audibly. “You have to let me go.”

With that, she jumped into the well.

-x-x-x-x-

One month earlier

Kagome Higurashi leaned her head back and sighed. The pilot had just announced that they would soon be making their descent.

The seat next to her shifted as a body dropped down beside her. “You should buckle up. It's time to land.”

Opening her eyes and turning towards her companion, Kagome smiled and complied, taking the lap belt and fastening it. Stifling a yawn, Kagome stretched her arms and arched like a cat before slumping back against the seat. “I still don't understand why we have to come all the way back,” she complained to her friend.

Kazuki Matsumoto looked at the woman beside him and grinned. “We're here because we were summoned, and we do what we're told.”

A disgruntled look settled on the girl's features. “So that we can continue to get the funding.”

“Yup, and we'll just go in there, smile, explain our findings, and go home.”

Kagome threw her hands up dejectedly. “How can you be so happy, Kaz? We've worked so hard for the past five years. We're almost there with our research. We can't stop now. One phone call and we're on a plane to a meeting with owners who have never shown any interest before. If we say the wrong thing they'll cut our funding. All of our efforts and time will have been wasted!”

“Oh, Kags, it's not so bad. We've been lucky flying under the radar for so long. We do good work and it's about time somebody noticed. Besides, it's been a while since you've come back. Don't you want to see your family?”

“You're right. It's been too long since I've seen Mama and Sota.” Kagome sighed, thinking back to the last time she had come back to Japan. It had been for Jii-Chan's funeral ten months earlier after the old priest died peacefully in his sleep. She stayed for only two days before she headed back to Alberta.

Lost in her memories, Kagome stared out the window at the passing clouds, her emotions dropping to match the altitude of the descending aircraft.

Sensing the change in her mood, Kazuki put his arm around his friend and hugged her. “It'll be okay, you'll see. We go in and talk to the bigwigs. You get to visit your family, and we'll be back in our lab in no time. Sounds like a plan, eh?”

Kagome smiled at her friend. He may be Japanese by heritage but being born and raised in the Rockies, he sounded all too Canadian with his speech and mannerisms.

The rest of the descent passed in comfortable silence, and the pair quickly went through customs. As they were collecting their baggage they were greeted by Mitsuru Sato, a representative of the Takahashi Group, before being ushered out to the waiting Mercedes Benz limousine parked outside. Mitsuru loaded their luggage into the trunk of the white car and proceeded to get into the driver's seat while Kagome and Kazuki settled into the back.

As they sped their way towards the city center, Mitsuru filled them in on the itinerary that was scheduled for them. They would have the remainder of the weekend to rest up before officially meeting the heads of the Takahashi Group on Monday. Misturu would be their official guide and driver, and he would be at their disposal during their stay in Japan.

Normally Kagome would stay at the Shrine, but having to be at the Takahashi Group headquarters early Monday morning made commuting more of a hassle than it was worth. Besides, she knew that she might have some late nights and didn't want to inconvenience her mother. Deep down, without anyone to have to defend her actions to, she knew it was much too painful to stay at the shrine for long periods. The place just held too many memories for her. Every time she was there she saw him in every room, in every corner, in every tree. She couldn't even step inside her old room without being buried in memories.

Leaning back in the limousine, Kagome watched the landscape speed past and sighed. For better or for worse, she was finally home.

-x-x-x-x-

Mitsuru checked them into the hotel and, after reassurances from his guests that they would be all right, he left them to rest.

Well, the Takahashi Group spared no expense, Kagome thought as she looked around her spacious suite. It was tastefully decorated with rich hues of cream and burgundy and accented with mahogany and glass furniture.

On one side of the room there was a sizable sitting area with wide windows displaying an unobstructed view of the city's skyline. A kidney shaped glass table and a contemporary leather sofa, along with a matching love seat, sat facing a flat panel television attached to the wall. A white laptop computer was hooked up beside a telephone and fax machine on the large mahogany desk in the other corner of the room. Walking over, Kagome noticed it was wired for high speed internet access. Opening up the top desk drawer, she saw it was stocked with various supplies of desk stationary.

Kagome carried her belongings through the doorway on the left. She assumed this led to the bedroom and was pleasantly surprised at the sight of the queen sized bed covered in an elegant goose down comforter set with four plush pillows set against the headrest. She placed her small carry-on bag on top of the dresser and heaved her luggage onto the rack beside it. She decided she would unpack her clothes into the adjoining armoire later.

Kagome looked longingly at the bed and was so tempted to jump right in and bury herself in the luscious bedding. Sighing before turning away, she went into the bathroom with her toiletries and set them down on the granite countertop.

She ran her fingers lightly over the marble soaker tub in the corner and silently thanked the kami for the eight spa jets placed throughout the sides of the enclosure. She turned the chrome faucets to start a bath. After checking to make sure the temperature was right, she headed back to the sitting room and opened the small bar fridge which hummed against the wall. Happy to see that it was well stocked with various snacks and drinks, Kagome pulled out an apple and a bottle of water.

She idly strode over to the window and looked out onto the darkening landscape. The sunset threw pink and orange hues across the sky as ripples of grey heralded the beginnings of night. Rolling her stiff shoulders to work the kinks out, she carried her snack and drink out onto the terrace. The scent of petunias made her nostrils flare as she glanced at the two flower pots hanging from the corners.

Padding lightly to the railing she leaned against the frame and bit into the apple. Chewing slowly she closed her eyes. Taking a couple of deep breaths, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers, she felt some of the tension from the last couple of days drain away. Slowly sipping her water, Kagome thought back to the events leading up to where she was now.

She was twenty years old and had only one year left in completing her degree when she was approached by the Matsumoto Corporation to join their research team. She was at the top of her class, her intelligence shining through with all of her years of hard work. On the premise that she would be assisting in their various research projects, she was hired on part time. Juggling work and her schooling was a hectic but rewarding period for Kagome as she grabbed her new found job with an enthusiasm and passion that surprised even her. She caught the eye of the company's top management team with her relentless eagerness to learn and her instinctive problem-solving abilities.

After a probationary period of six months, she was pulled into the office and got the shock of her life. Her boss and the company's founder, Takumi Matsumoto, revealed that he was in fact an inu-youkai and everyone employed by the company were youkai, hanyou or humans sympathetic to the youkai cause.

After the initial shock wore off, Kagome, in turn, surprised her boss when she stated that she was quite familiar with not only the workings of inu-hanyou, but of kitsune and wolves as well. She further shocked him when she demonstrated her miko powers that she had honed over the years. This coupled with the fact that she was quick thinking and had a natural diagnostic ability made her an even more valuable addition to their team than Takumi had first realized.

Takumi had originally planned for Kagome to be an assistant to his own son who was spearheading a new research project, but once he found out her amazing capabilities and her in-depth knowledge of the youkai world, Kagome's position was elevated to that of Co-Project Chair.

Kagome was flattered that he would offer her such an esteemed position and had tried to turn it down gently, explaining that she was not officially trained in such areas and that she had wanted to continue her studies. After all, she was only twenty years old, a human and a female to boot. What could she possibly offer them that a highly trained and capable youkai couldn't?

Takumi insisted that she was the one he wanted and wouldn't take no for an answer. His gut instinct told him that she was perfect for the job and he made her an offer she couldn't refuse. He told Kagome that she could continue her studies while working for the Matsumoto Corporation. To sweeten the deal, he stated that the corporation would pay for all of her educational studies, including paying off her existing student debts. In addition, they would provide living expenses and a car allowance on top of the lofty salary. It was a very generous offer for a struggling college student. The only catch was that she would have to move to Canada where their main laboratory was located, and where the majority of their research was done.

Kagome balked at the idea and flatly refused at that point. There was no way she would move that far away, but once Takumi outlined the research she would be doing and why he thought she needed to be on the team, Kagome finally relented. It was a tough decision, possibly the hardest choice she had to make. With a prayer and a sigh, she accepted the job and sealed her fate.

Kagome was then introduced to Kazuki Matsumoto, Takumi's hanyou son, whom she would be partnered with in the research.

Together in their Alberta headquarters, they spent countless hours working in their laboratory with their loyal team of scientists. They became very successful in their research and had developed quite a reputation among the scientific youkai world. For five years, Kagome and Kazuki worked tirelessly side by side. In that time they became steadfast friends.

Initially, Kazuki expressed interest in becoming more than friends, but after his repeated advances kept getting shot down, he relented and backed off. Their friendship grew and Kagome looked up to him like an older brother, much to Kazuki's dismay.

Their research station was located just outside of the Kananaskis region in Alberta. Even though it was on Canadian soil, the corporation and the 750 acres of land it sat on belonged to the Japanese conglomerate known as The Takahashi Group. The Takahashi Group generally employed a hands-off approach to their research studies and allowed the Matsumoto Corporation to make most of the corporate decisions — until now.

Their newest project was affectionately dubbed, “Transformation Hanyou.” They were very close in achieving their objective of allowing hanyous to appear human without losing their youki senses. In a modern world filled with superstitious humans, youkai developed the abilities to mask their appearances with concealment charms. Hanyou, being only half youkai, only had the ability to suppress their youki, thus turning them into their human counterparts. As the world evolved and more hanyou came into existence, the demand to provide a better concealment option was high. Hanyou wanted the ability to mask their appearances, like full-blooded youkai did, but not actually turn human.

“Transformation Hanyou” was moved to the top of their priority list, and they concentrated all of their efforts on the project. They didn't have a solution yet. When it seemed like they were close to solving their problem, something always came up and thwarted them. Kagome knew the answer was close, so close that she could taste it. She just needed to figure out what the missing link was.

The past week was a blur with the flurry of packing and making sure the lab was secured before they left. Kagome and Kazuki barely had time to gather up their research materials before they boarded the plane.

At first, Kagome secretly seethed at the last minute call from the Takahashi Group requesting their presence in Japan. Who were they to make such high-handed orders after years of absolute silence? Being pulled away from their research to meet the demands of the owners seemed futile to Kagome, but she grudgingly gave in when Takumi told her that their future funding depended upon the Takahashi Group's goodwill.

The disgruntled feelings continued to gnaw at her. Her newest project was her baby. She poured all of her love and attention into it. She gave up everything for this job and not to be able to do it was galling and frustrating. She gave up everything. She pushed the thought away. It hurt too much to rehash just how much she had sacrificed.

Kagome leaned against the railing and sighed. Cupping her cheek with one hand, she watched the city's twinkling lights come alive in the twilight. Dark shadows began to dance in their nocturnal playground.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Startled, she looked over at the adjoining balcony. “Make that twenty five million and you have a deal.”

Kazuki laughed. “If I had twenty five mills, it'll be all yours, Kags.” Kazuki's eyes twinkled with merriment as he continued teasing his colleague. “Seriously, what's the matter? You look like you're lost in thought. Are you still regretting turning me down?”

“I'm always thinking that, Kaz,” retorted Kagome, laughing.

Kazuki smiled to himself. Kagome was always so serious that he teased her all the time to get her to loosen up. At times during their friendship, when she totally relaxed, he saw glimpses of how she must have been like when she was younger. Then as suddenly as her spontaneity occurred, her stoic, serious nature took over. So whenever he had the opportunity, he would tease her to make her smile. After all, someone so beautiful shouldn't be so serious all of the time at such a young age, even if their research was very exhausting and intense.

“I knew it. You just can't resist me. No wonder you have trouble concentrating in the lab. Just too busy checking me out.”

Kagome laughed out loud at her friend. “Gee thanks, but I think that award goes to Amaya and Mura.” Hanging around Kazuki for so many years, his slang rubbed off on her more than she would like to admit.

Kazuki spread his arms wide and grinned at her. “Okay, Kags, how come you look so forlorn? You can't have lost your best friend, I'm still here.”

Kagome simply shook her head and chuckled before she turned to head back into her room. “While I do enjoy our little banters, it's time to say good night, Kaz.”

“Hey, Kags, wait, where are you going? Are you just going to leave me here all by my lonesome?”

“Yes. I'm going to take a bath and go to sleep.”

“What, you didn't sleep on that excruciating plane ride we had with that awful, wailing baby?”

“That baby wasn't awful — you are for saying that!” Kagome scolded him laughingly.

“But I'm hungry, Kags. Let's order something and watch a movie, okay?” begged Kazuki in an over-exaggerated pleading tone, his hands clasped under his chin as he batted his eyelashes at her.

“Oh, Kaz, you don't give up, do you?” Kagome sighed, but inwardly she smiled. She was spiraling towards a depressed state and, if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want to be alone tonight. But heaven forbid if she told Kazuki that. Give him an inch and he'll take a mile, but he was her friend and she loved him for it.

“Nope, never did. Never will.”

“Okay. Let me have my bath first, and then you can come over. But,” Kagome gave him a pointed look, “you have to bring food.”

“You've got yourself a deal!” Kazuki called out as Kagome slipped back inside her room.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome was tucking her pink t-shirt into a pair of grey sweatpants when she heard a knock at the door. Pulling her slightly damp hair into a ponytail she went to answer it.

Kazuki presented a pizza in front of Kagome with a flourish. “Room Service!”

“Pizza!”

“Yup, courtesy of a little pizza parlor I discovered around the corner. And it's not just any pizza, it's your favourite.”

Kagome grabbed the box and practically ran to the sofa.

“Oh, Hawaiian!” Kagome squealed as she lifted up the lid and peered down at the pizza piled high with ham and pineapple. “How did you convince them to put pineapple on it?”

Kazuki gave her a dazzling smile. “Hey, darling, it wasn't hard to convince the girls at the counter. I just told them that's how we eat it in Canada.”

Kagome took in his tousled jet black hair and his twinkling dark brown eyes. Kazuki was wearing a royal blue polo shirt which showed off his muscular frame and a pair of khaki cargo pants that hugged his slim hips.

“Humph.” Kagome shook her head and grinned sarcastically at her friend. “I'll bet it wasn't too hard to convince the girls.”

Kazuki ignored Kagome's jab. After all, it wasn't his fault that he was good-looking. He never had a problem attracting girls. The only problem was the girl that he wanted to attract made it very clear that she only wanted to be friends.

He flopped down beside Kagome and bit into a slice of pizza. He closed his eyes, savouring the taste. “Hmmm, that's good. I wasn't sure what I was going to eat in this place.”

“You could try sushi.”

Kazuki looked horrified at the thought. “What, raw fish?”

“It's good. You should try it.”

“I have. I think I got worms from it.”

Kagome giggled as she grabbed another slice of pizza. “Oh, Kaz, you did not!” Watching her friend blanch, Kagome insisted, “We really have to go for sushi before we head back to K Country.”

“Anything for you, darling,” purred Kazuki in a slow, sultry tone.

Kagome giggled and shook her head. It really was too bad that she wasn't attracted to Kazuki. He was a prime catch as her Canadian friends, Amaya and Mura, would like to say. Intelligent, good looking, witty, and sexy as hell, he was everything that a girl could ask for in a boyfriend. She knew from his ramblings that he wanted to settle down and have a family. Working for his father and meeting his mother and siblings on numerous occasions, Kagome knew they were a tight knit bunch and his loyalties knew no bounds. Once a friend, always a friend seemed to be his motto.

Even when she repeatedly turned down his advances, he simply shrugged and let it go, not bearing any grudges. Kagome still had the odd nagging suspicion that Kazuki would have pursued her if she gave him any encouragement, but she knew that he was too much of a gentlemen and a friend to overstep the boundaries unless she made the first move.

Kagome shook her head. Here's this great guy that I would be more than happy with and I can't even let go of my past. She was hopeless, but the wounds in her heart were still too raw and, until she could say good-bye, she couldn't move on.

“Hey, penny for your thoughts.” Kazuki reached over to turn the television on, flipping through the channels to find the movie station.

“You already gave me your penny.”

“Oh well, guess I'm broke now.”

Kagome chuckled and leaned her head against Kaz's shoulder. She felt much better and was glad that she wasn't alone with her thoughts. Yes, Kaz was a good friend. He could always make her laugh, and that's what she needed right now to keep the depression at bay.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome woke up early the next morning. For having only nine hours of sleep after a tiring international flight, she amazingly felt quite refreshed.

After taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she changed into a loose brown peasant skirt that reached just below her knees and a white cotton blouse. She pulled a light beige sweater over her shoulders in case the weather got cooler later.

She was leaning down to pick up her purse when a rapid knocking came on the door accompanied by a cheerful, almost too cheerful, sing song voice calling out. “Oh, good morning, sunshine!”

Grinning madly, Kagome opened the door to her friend. Trust Kazuki to wake up the whole floor with his boisterous behaviour.

“Hush, you'll wake everyone up,” Kagome admonished laughingly as she shooed her friend into the room.

“Hey, it's 8'o clock already. Rise and shine!”

Shaking her head, Kagome slipped on a pair of brown sandals and grabbed Kazuki's arm. “Come on — I'm starving. What's for breakfast?”

“Pizza?”

“No.”

“A nice juicy steak?”

Kagome stuck out her tongue and made a face, making Kabuki burst into laughter. “Definitely not.”

“Okay, I'll settle for some pancakes and bacon.”

“Now, that sounds like a plan,” Kagome agreed, paraphrasing one of Kazuki's favourite expressions. “I think the restaurant downstairs serves western cuisine.”

“Then let's go. What are we waiting for?” Kazuki practically dragged Kagome into the elevator.

Once they were on their way down, Kazuki turned to Kagome and asked, “What's on the agenda today? Wasn't it nice of the Takahashi Group to give us a day off?” He pulled out his copy of the itinerary and glanced at it.

“Kaz, it's Sunday. Even they don't work on a Sunday,” Kagome said dryly.

“Really? And here I thought they would work us seven days a week if they could.” Kazuki matched Kagome's dry tone with one of his own.

“I promised Mama that I would stop by the shrine today.” Kagome bit her lower lip and looked away. “It's been a while since I've been home…”

“…and Mama's going to want an explanation on why you haven't, eh?” finished Kazuki.

Kagome smiled wanly at her friend. That was the problem with having such a close friend that knew your every mood. It was a curse and a blessing at the same time. “The last time I came back was for Jii-Chan's funeral and before that I only made it home a handful of times.”

“Would you like me to come with you, Kagome?” Kazuki asked softly.

Kagome looked at Kazuki, a smile lighting up her face. “That would be nice. Mama would love to meet you. I've told her so much about you and our work over the years.”

The elevator opened then and the pair stepped out in search of breakfast.