InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Return Again ❯ Question ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Warning: Still no lemon, but a dash of angst and enough sugar to rot the teeth out of your head.

II. Question

Kagome sat on the grassy knoll, brushing her hair as it dried slowly in the warm summer sun. It had been several weeks since they had discovered that her future was now tied to the Sengoku Jidai. The idea was becoming less alien, slowly, but she sometimes cried for no particular reason except that it was a relief to do so.

The young woman from the modern era had been very small when her father died - too young really to suffer from the shock of the loss. It had seemed to the sweet child as though her daddy had simply stayed away longer than usual, on another of his frequent business trips. But she vividly remembered her mother's pain and the times that Mama would cloister herself to cry alone. Kagome had come to understand well enough to recognize her own grief now.

The members of the Higurashi family weren't dead, but to Kagome it felt for all the world as though she had lost them forever. Her brow furrowed. Miroku-sama had counseled her gently, invoking the wisdom of Buddha who brought enlightenment on the passing of souls. Her future was no less certain now than it had been at any other time of her life. Kagome reminded herself to embrace the present and to open her heart to the future.

The dog days of summer had arrived, the heat and humidity approaching unbearable near midday before retreating into the slick lazy warmth of brightly hued evenings. Although not to the taste of the villagers, who privately opined that it was yet another of the peculiarities that set the young woman apart, Kagome found a noontime dip in the distant hot spring quite refreshing - if only because the water remained marginally wetter and warmer than the stifling summer heat. She felt almost cool, at least for a time, after leaving the spring.

As had become their daily habit, Inuyasha joined her on the knoll as soon as she was dressed. She didn't bother to reflect on his infallibly perfect timing. He had been good to his word, hunting and foraging and protecting their little group, even helping out on occasion with the village chores while Kagome trained with Kaede.

Kagome sighed. Training with the elderly miko was frustrating. Herb lore was boring, but Kagome was as diligent in her studies as always. Healing came naturally enough. But spiritual training was becoming more difficult with each passing session, her focus slipping slowly away and her powers increasingly difficult to grasp. She had finally mentioned the problem to Kaede-obasan, wondering whether it was a natural occurrence because of her progress into womanhood or the process of grieving. The elderly miko seemed perplexed, admitting freely that she did not know the source of Kagome's difficulties.

Inuyasha shifted on the ground before her, his head cradled in his upright palm as he stretched lazily on his side. He flicked his locks carelessly over his shoulder in a wordless demand for the attention of her brush.

Her grooming habits had always fascinated him. Inuyasha watched intently as the bristled brush swept once more through her hair, the sunlight glancing off the ebony silk. She smelled fresh and warm, and her countenance lightened with the unconscious pleasure she seemed to glean from the simple act.

As usual these days, the moment passed quickly and Kagome's brow furrowed. She was worrying again. Kagome was normally so carefree, and it bothered him to see her suffering like this. But if anyone could understand the sense of loss and grief and separation, it was the hanyou boy whose own life had held misery and isolation the likes of which few could comprehend.

Although he hated her suffering, Inuyasha allowed Kagome the moments of privacy she sometimes needed to cry. Much to the surprise of their friends, he had in fact demonstrated an extraordinary sensitivity to her shifting moods. Inuyasha had slipped only once, one evening, over a particularly measly dinner of grilled river fish. Without thinking he had voiced his desire for his beloved and desperately missed ramen. Kagome's abrupt and tearful departure weighed heavily on his conscience, ensuring that any future references to the wonders of her time were strictly off-limits until she decided to raise the subject herself.

Inuyasha tensed as he heard Kagome sigh. It was time to distract her from her troubling thoughts.

Noticing his intense concentration as she brushed her hair, Kagome had offered a few days ago to brush his as well. The process had done nothing for him, the pleasure she seemed to derive from the act remained a complete mystery. But oddly enough she had seemed to enjoy brushing his hair as much as her own, the flicking of his ears as they were tickled by the silver threads earning him a few treasured giggles. Truth be told, he didn't mind it when she touched him - even his ears - so he had subjected himself to this odd act more than once for the sake of her happiness.

The rhythm Kagome set as she stroked through his mane lulled Inuyasha into an unusually peaceful state. His eyelids grew heavy as the golden sun suffused his body with its molten warmth.

Memories of the celebrations marking the union of Miroku and Sango flooded unbidden into his consciousness. Kagome had been unable to take part in most of the activities due to her injuries, but a delighted squeal had escaped her lips when he hefted her unto a rooftop to watch the celebratory dance. Later that night after everyone had retired, Inuyasha and Kagome shared a special moment. Hell would freeze, with Kikyou in it, before he would be seen dancing by any of those village idiots. But by the light of the moon, he had acquiesced to Kagome's shy and wistful request for a dance of their own. After all, Kaede had said that they should try to keep her spirits up.

Inuyasha winced as Kagome's brush snagged in a particularly nasty tangle. But knowing that she had bigger worries on her mind, he kept his mouth shut. Last night he had overheard Kaede-babaa discussing the problem of Kagome's waning powers with the monk. They were uncertain about the source of the problem, but speculated that it might be tied to Kikyou's final departure or perhaps to the fact that the power was no longer needed to purify the shikon no tama.

A miko of even minimal spiritual talents, such as Kaede, was a valuable protector and therefore revered by the people of the village. But in the absence of spiritual power, village women were valued mainly because they could produce the sons needed to see to the future of the family and community. If Kagome were to lose all of her powers, as they feared she might, there was little left to protect her from the demands of the village. Even a married woman could cultivate herbs and tend to everyone's health. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open as he bolted upright, twisting around.

"Kagome."

He so surprised himself with the sound of his own voice that he barely registered his next words, which slipped out on impulse.

Kagome stared at him with wide disbelieving eyes. Seeing the shock on her face, Inuyasha rushed to explain himself, to point out that he had only offered for her sake. Kagome's soft voice stilled the rush of explanations. His breath caught at her words.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Yes."