InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Persistence ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

I'm a bit obsessed with writing this story right now. My muse has been quite fruitful lately *knock on wood*

 

NOTE: Sesshomaru has both arms. No, it doesn't quite follow the manga, blah blah so I'm using creative license.

 

[Insert disclaimer here - I do not own Inuyasha in any way]

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Steam curled up from the hot water, wrapping around the faucet like a wisp of a hand before dissipating in the air. Kagome lifted her hand, watching tendrils of steam curl off the tips and rise before disappearing. Sighing, she slipped her hand back into the water and leaned her head back against the rim of the tub. The hot water felt like a blessing as she soaked, coaxing her tense muscles to relax. She had been startled by Sesshomaru's closeness at the well and the words he said. “And where is Inuyasha now?” Was that a threat or was that a real question? What does he want from me? What is he trying to get at? Is he trying to make me jealous that Inuyasha went to Kikyo again?

 

After changing into her cotton, blue and green checkered pajamas, Kagome sat on her bed. “Two hours of studying, a nice hot bath, and then sleeping in my own bed. Heaven!” Flopping back on her pillow her mind strayed to thoughts of Inuyasha. I wonder if he's returned yet. If he has, I'm sure he's mad that I came home… “Oh well! A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!” She reached for her alarm clock, set it for 6:00am then crawled under the covers. “Ah, it's good to be home.” She drifted to sleep as shadows lazily danced across her closed window, created by the gentle sway of the trees outside.

 

*Bbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnggggg*

 

Kagome draped her left arm over her eyes as her right hand snaked out from the covers to smack her alarm clock, turning it off. She sat up and stretched, her arms reaching toward the ceiling as she flexed her legs and wiggled her toes. “Ah.. that felt great.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned, her hair rustled lightly in a breeze that flowed in from her open window. “That's weird. I'm sure I closed it last night.” Getting out of bed, Kagome walked over to her window and pulled it further open. It was a beautiful early summer day. As she leaned on her elbows, she could see birds swooping from tree to tree, singing a lovely song and her grandpa out on the shrine grounds, already sweeping and performing general upkeep. Pulling away from the window, she glanced at the latch and noticed scratch marks around it. Inuyasha? Gasping, she looked around her room for any trace that Inuyasha may have been in her room over night. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. “Hmmm..” Kagome closed the curtains on her window and rummaged around her dresser and closet to find a clean uniform to wear. She washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair and went bounding down the stairs.

 

“Good morning, mama, Souta!”

 

“Hey sis,” Souta mumbled, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

 

“Good morning, Kagome. How did you sleep, dear?” her mother asked from the kitchen where she was finishing up preparing breakfast.

 

“I slept great! It sure is a nice change from sleeping on the ground all the time,” she answered, pouring herself a cup of orange juice.

 

“That's good. I hope you didn't mind that I opened your window a little last night,” her mother said, “it was so warm yesterday and overnight that I thought it might be nice to get some fresh air in the house.”

 

Kagome deflated a little, her shoulders drooping. So it wasn't Inuyasha. “No, it was okay.” Kagome dejectedly sipped her juice. She had been hoping it was Inuyasha that had opened the window. She was still feeling a bit shaken by Sesshomaru's words and actions the night before and wanted the reassurance that Inuyasha would protect her. Kagome quietly drained her glass of juice and ate breakfast, thinking about Inuyasha's absence and Sesshomaru's odd behaviour.

 

--000—

 

“Kagome!” Three voices rang out as Kagome stepped into the hallway that her class was located. Her friends, Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka, waved to Kagome.

 

“Hey guys!” she cheerfully responded and trotted over to them. It was always nice to see her friends. She felt so horrible having to lie and feign illnesses to her friends that she'd had since childhood.

 

“How's your rickets doing?” Eri asked, giving Kagome a concerned look. “Are you sure you should be at school so soon?”

 

Grandpa! Rickets?! Sheesh, it's a wonder I can even walk she thought sarcastically, making a mental note to make a list of `acceptable' illnesses for grandpa to use. “I'm great! Never been better, hehe,” she forced a smile to the surface that was sure to throw her friends off. “I just have to make sure I drink my milk and take my vitamins,” and kill grandpa she added to herself.

 

“Well that's good,” Ayumi said, “you're right on time for the big math test. Are you sure you're up to it?”

 

“I've been studying the whole time I've been away and I'm ready to tackle this test,” she said with as much confidence as she could muster. Truthfully, she did feel as if she was prepared for the test and did feel confident that she would be able to squeak by with at least a grade of 80%.

 

“Do you think you'll be able to pass the final exams next week?” Eri inquired, doodling on a scrap of paper.

 

“Mama talked to my teachers and they're allowing me to take some summer courses to catch up so that I'll still be able to move on to the next grade in the fall,” Kagome explained.

 

“That's good. If I were you, I'd be so stressed out! Spending your whole summer in class? Yuck,” Yuka said, wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue to emphasize her point.

 

The day passed by uneventfully. The test was a killer but Kagome finished it within the time frame without shedding a drop of sweat. If only all my tests were that easy she mused. She chatted animatedly with her friends, enjoying their company as they strolled out of the school at the end of the day.

 

“See you later, guys! I promised Souta I'd help him with his homework tonight,” she said as she waved and walked away from the school, down the street several blocks, and up the multitude of stairs to her home at the shrine. “I'm home!”

 

“Hey sis,” Souta replied casually, walking past her while munching on the contents of a small bag of potato chips, “what're you doing home still?”

 

“I do live here, y'know,” she grumbled dejectedly, walking past Souta. “Besides, I still have to pack up more supplies before I can head back.” With that said, Kagome bound up the stairs to begin packing clean clothes, a fresh supply of ramen amongst other items, and a few pieces of candy for Shippo and Rin. She hummed to herself as she shoved items to her bag, grunting as she forced the last few items in. Whew she thought as she wiped her hand over her forehead. As she did, a light gust of wind stirred her hair, causing the sweat on her neck to chill, bringing goose pimples to the surface of her skin. Looking over at the window she saw Inuyasha sitting on the sill.

 

“Inuyasha!”

 

“Are you ready yet? I'm here to take you back,” he grunted, slipping off the window sill and trudging over to her bed to inspect the bag's contents. He paused a foot away from her bed and sniffed the air. “Something smells weird in here,” he said, slowly pacing around the room and sniffing.

 

“Maybe Bouyo caught something and had it in my room while I was gone,” Kagome reasoned, paling at the thought of a dead something-or-another in the jaws of her cat in her room. Eww.

 

“No, that's not it. It smells familiar,” Inuyasha replied absently, his nose sniffing crazily near the window.

 

“You're such a dog. It's probably remnants from past battles. I don't exactly come home squeaky clean, you know. C'mon, I'm ready so let's go,” Kagome complained, hefting the bag at Inuyasha who grasped it before it pummeled him in the stomach.

 

“Could've fooled me with the number of times you bathe,” Inuyasha muttered but quickly shut up due to the glare she shot at him. The pair made their way down the stairs where she said goodbye to her mother, grandpa, and to Souta. The afternoon sun welcomed them as they stepped out of the house and made their way to the well house. Kagome had a thought of Sesshomaru waiting on the other side of the well, waiting to taunt her about how easily he could kill her. Arrogant jerk, she thought to herself. `Where is Inuyasha now?' she said in her mind, mimicking his icy tone. He's right next to me she smugly replied to herself.

 

“Hey, you comin?” Inuyasha asked. Kagome blinked her eyes a few times and noticed that Inuyasha was ready to jump in the well but she was still standing near the edge.

 

“Yeah, sorry, was just lost in a thought for a sec there!” She smiled at him, feeling reassured with him by her side.

 

“Keh, girls,” Inuyasha muttered as she climbed onto the ledge of the well and jumped in with him. She felt the magic catch and with a flash of the bluish/purple light, they were landing on the bottom of the well. Looking up she could see the clear sky and smiled. Inuyasha grabbed her around her waist and jumped out of the well, towing her up with him.

 

“Gaaah,” she cried, “I'm fully capable of climbing out, you know” she scowled at him, quickly readjusting her uniform since it had hiked up a little when he grabbed her.

 

“Yeah, but you take too long. This way is quicker,” he smirked at her, a milky white canine poking out of his mouth. He really looks goofy when he does that she thought with a light-hearted smile.

 

“Kagome! You're back!” Shippo bounded off Miroku's shoulder 10 feet away and launched himself at her. Kagome caught the fox kit in her arms and laughed. “I wasn't even gone for a whole day, Shippo.”

 

“Yeah but Inuyasha's always mean when you're gone and no one else wanted to play games with me and Rin while you were away,” he pouted after glaring at Inuyasha.

 

“Welcome back, Kagome-san,” Rin yelled as she ran up to the group, “Rin and Shippo missed you!”

 

“Oh yeah, they're still here with Lord Pain-In-The-Ass,” Inuyasha grumbled glancing at the tree line where Kagome saw a shimmer of white that materialized into Sesshomaru as he slowly walked toward them.

 

“Someone of power must be here to oversee the group while you're off courting the dead priestess, Inuyasha,” he smoothly proclaimed. Kagome noticed that Inuyasha flinch slightly at this declaration. Courting? Is that like dating? “After all, we wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone,” he said, his tone icy. Kagome gulped as she realized he was looking straight at her. No one else seemed to notice his eyes narrowing on her as he walked and spoke. Now I know how the amoebas in Biology must feel Kagome mused, feeling as if she was being studied under a microscope. A powerful, stunning, dangerous, demon microscope. With claws. She hugged Shippo closer to her, hoping that Sesshomaru would spare her since she was one of the main sources of entertainment for his young ward, Rin.

 

“What did you say?!” Inuyasha yelled, unsheathing Tessaiga and pointing it at Sesshomaru. The older demon changed his focus from Kagome to Inuyasha.

 

“Are you going to slay me, Inuyasha? Then who will help you defeat Naraku?” He lazily questioned. “Surely you don't think you can beat him with the way you wildly swing that sword around.”

 

“Inuyasha, stop. As unsettling as it may be, Sesshomaru is our ally and it would not be wise to lose him,” Miroku sternly interjected.

 

“Indeed,” Sesshomaru said smugly, turning his head as if to say `this discussion is over'.

 

“Keh. He's all talk,” Inuyasha muttered, sheathing Tessaiga. He picked up Kagome's yellow backpack that he had set down and started walking toward the village. The group followed suit, Shippo and Rin chatting up a storm to Kagome. She tried to pay attention but her mind was elsewhere. Turning her head slightly, she saw Sesshomaru walking a ways behind her - staring straight at her. She quickly turned back to face forward and forced herself to pay attention to Shippo and Rin's ramblings. She quickened her pace to catch up to Inuyasha because being near him made her feel better; safer.

 

One week flowed into another as they chased over the country side, collecting shards and seeking out Naraku. Kagome had become accustomed to having Rin around and soon felt like the mother of the two children; one full demon and one full human. Rin often brought bouquets of wild flowers clenched in her fist when Kagome called the pair to the camp site for the evening meal. She wondered how such an expressive young girl could be traveling with such a cold, sadistic-seeming demon like Sesshomaru. From what she had seen of their interactions over the weeks, Rin treated Sesshomaru with respect, love, and admiration. Likewise, he made sure that she had adequate clothing, was well fed and was looked after under his watchful eye. He also allowed her to play with Shippo, Kirara and Kagome.

 

Before heading into battle, Kagome begged Inuyasha to allow her one last foray to her time. “To collect supplies. Pleeeeease, Inuyasha?”

 

“Keh, you and your supplies. You don't need to be lugging around some bag full of junk when we're trying to defeat Naraku,” Inuyasha retorted, crossing his arms and inclining his nose in the air.

 

“But Inuyasha… What if we battle and the jewel is completed and a wish is made and I can't return to my time. I want to be able to tell my family I love them while I have the chance. Don't deny me that,” Kagome pouted, talking quietly with her head down. She looked up at Inuyasha and did her best impression of a child begging for a new toy.

 

“Alright. Stop looking at me like that, you can go,” he grumbled, looking away. He crouched down, a motion that told Kagome `get on'. She took the few steps to close the distance between them when a smooth voice cut through the silence.

 

“Would it not be faster if this Sesshomaru took the Miko to the well?” he asked. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Sesshomaru was offering to help?

 

“Kagome.. how does he know about the well?” Inuyasha ground out, glaring at his half-brother.

 

“Sesshomaru-sama accompanied me to the well the last time I went home when you were with Kikyo. On the way I told him everything. I'm alive to tell the tale, too,” Kagome explained, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

 

“He's got a point though, Inuyasha. If he uses his orb of light he can get Kagome to the well nearly immediately,” Sango reasoned.

 

I'd be home in a flash Kagome thought and snorted as she tried to muffle a quick giggle. Everyone glanced her way as her eyes widened, realizing what she just did. “Sorry, heh heh.” Clearing her throat, Kagome continued. “It's okay, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru-sama promised he would not hurt me.”

 

“That prick's promise means nothing to me,” he spat.

 

“Well, it means something to me! I'm going home. I'll be back tomorrow at this time and Sesshomaru can bring me back as well,” Kagome said with a `and that's final' tone, her hands on her hips to emphasize her point.

 

“Feh, fine,” Inuyasha muttered, jumping up to settle on a sturdy branch of a nearby tree.

 

Kagome walked over to Sesshomaru and bowed politely, smiling up at him. “So how does this work?” she asked innocently. Kagome had a sudden image of Sesshomaru in his full demon form and her sitting astride his back, reigns in her hands laughing gleefully and saying `giddy up!' She tried unsuccessfully to hide the smirk on her face. Sesshomaru gave her a look as if to say I know what you're thinking and you can stop it right now, insolent human.

 

Sesshomaru raised his right arm, allowing Kagome to move close to him. “Wrap your arm around my waist and hold onto my armor tightly,” his bored voice rang through the area. Kagome took steps closer to close the distance and hesitated before raising her arms to wrap awkwardly around Sesshomaru's middle. The armor he was wearing was cold against her skin and she sucked in a breath as she made contact with it. She felt his arm rest lightly against her back as his had gripped gently at her hip. Who knew he would be so gentle?

 

Suddenly there was a flash of white light, a feeling of being weightless and dizzy, and then the light faded. Sesshomaru released Kagome instantly and she stumbled until she fell backward, landing hard on her behind. “Ow! You could have warned me, you know,” she complained. Pushing herself up from the ground she noted that they were right next to the well. “Wow, that was quick,”

 

“I will wait here for your return, Miko. Do not make this Sesshomaru wait,” he said as he walked to the edge of the clearing and sat down in front of a sizable tree.

 

“I won't,” she promised with a warm smile before she climbed onto the ledge of the well before dropping in. The bluish/purple light swirled to life and in an instant she was gone. Sesshomaru tilted his head, testing the air and noted that, yes, the Miko was gone.

 

---000---

 

“Mama, grandpa, Souta, I'm home!” she called out. She was greeted with silence but heard murmuring upstairs. Slipping off her shoes, Kagome went up the stairs to find her mother and grandfather in Souta's room. Souta was dressed in what looked like red lederhosen over a white shirt. Over the straps of the lederhosen was a greenish-black vest and a light blue bowtie tied at the collar. He wore a yellow, round-pointed hat that had a blue stripe around it and a red feather stuck into the blue rim.

 

“Apparently styles have changed in the little time I've been gone,” Kagome stated from the doorway, a smile forming on her face.

 

“Kagome! How nice to see you! Doesn't Souta look nice?” her mother asked as she ran a finger over the feather in his hat, causing it to quiver.

 

“I got the role of Pinoccio in the school play! Isn't it great?” Souta gushed, striking a pose with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out.

 

“That's awesome, Souta, congratulations!” Kagome replied suddenly weary of her mission to tell her family she may never return.

 

Kagome's mother noticed her unease and clapped her hands together. “Souta, why don't you change out of your costume and get ready for bed. Grandpa, it would be wise for you to head to bed as well,” she said, smiling endearingly at her father-in-law as he grumbled about being told to go to bed. “Kagome, why don't you and I go downstairs and have a cup of tea together?”

 

“That would be great, mama,” Kagome said, crossing the hall to drop her things off in her room. She took a deep breath and let it out in a big rush. How do I tell mama? Kagome turned and headed downstairs and sat at the table as her mother prepared the tea pot.

 

“You seem troubled, dear,” her mother commented as she pulled two cups from the cupboard.

 

“I do?” Kagome asked, feigning disbelief.

 

“Yes. Call it… a mother's intuition,” she said, smiling as she brought the cups to the table and placed one infront of Kagome. “Now, tell me what's on your mind.”

 

Kagome sighed heavily. “We're very close to the final battle. I don't know what will happen once we have the completed jewel and a wish is made. I don't know if the well will work to let me come home, mama,” Kagome whispered, a single tear coursing its way down her cheek.

 

Her mother reached out and caught the tear on the pad of her thumb, wiping it free of her cheek. She stood and retrieved the tea pot, pouring the steaming liquid to fill each of their cups