InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Stealer ❯ One - School's Out ( Chapter 1 )

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

Soul Stealer
Chapter One - School's Out
Kagome was walking home. Hair shadowing her forehead, you wouldn't know that the summer holidays had begun. She looked distraught. That was down to the envelope in her hands. She was fumbling with it - turning it over and over like a Catherine Wheel, trying to pick up the courage to read what was inside. I've failed, she thought, fingers tightening at the idea. There are no two ways about it. Maths just isn't my thing.
She sighed and looked up to check her route. The steps that led up to her home were looming into view, towering above her and making her insides shrink. Ever since she'd been little she'd laboured up those stairs, but she still got a sinking feeling inside every time she set eyes on them. Chucking her black hair back behind her shoulder, she began fidgeting with the envelope even more.
Kagome hated report cards. She hated Mama reading them, she hated telling her friends what she got and most of all she hated being disappointed. I have to open it, she moaned inwardly, to give me warning before Mama finds out my grade. Kagome looked down at the envelope. Come on, girl, it's not like you've had worse things to handle - you fight demons, right?
Out loud, Kagome whispered, “Right,” and started to open it, breath snagging in her throat as she ripped the top delicately. Mounting the steps to the shrine on instinct, she kept her mind on what was on her report card and her body on getting home without falling down the hundred-or-so steps.
The card slid out into her palm as soon as the envelope was opened. Kagome let out a deep breath and started reading the grades, her brown eyes running down the list of subjects. All was going well, and then she dared herself to look at her math grade. She froze, both mentally and physically - foot poised over a step.
“I… I…” she choked out, shaking her head in disbelief. No… that's… that's gotta be a mistake… Slowly, and very hesitantly, she started walking again. “I passed?”
She had. The elegant `C' resting in the grade box next to her worse subject looked beautiful every time Kagome glanced at it.
“A `C'!” Kagome cried, hugging the piece of paper. If anyone had been spying on her, they'd have thought her pretty strange at that point, but Kagome didn't care. Now I'm on track. My education… my future… I don't have to rely on shard hunting any more, because I can get a decent job with these. She couldn't wait to see the look on Mama's face when she came home, brandishing her good grades.
And for one moment, she almost forgot about Inuyasha… Almost.

“I'm home!” Kagome cried, kicking her shoes off and dropping her backpack. What was unusual was that no one came out to greet her. She'd gotten used to Sota running up to her and welcoming her home. Not that it mattered… her brother must have had homework.
Kagome wandered into the kitchen. Mama was preparing dinner. Judging by the pot of ramen on the counter, they had a guest. Kagome didn't falter. She stepped over to her mother casually, and silkily waved the report card in front of her nose. Immediately, Mama Higurashi caught hold of what her daughter was getting at.
She left the pot of noodles bubbling away in the saucepan as she snatched at the card hungrily. “I bet you did well, sweetie.” She said, before reading the list. Kagome did a pirouette and grinned brightly. Buyo mewed on the kitchen floor and Kagome bent down to stroke him.
As soon as she'd started tickling her cat's stomach, her mother had rushed up behind her and pulled her into a hug. “And you did so well in maths, too! I thought you said you were going to fail!” she cried, talking as if they'd been having the conversation before.
Kagome frowned, an idea striking her. “Mama, maybe you should ring the school. What if they got it wrong?”
“Nonsense,” Mama reassured, yet she still promised to ring them in the evening. She put the card down on the side and went back to the dinner. “Kagome,” she spoke over her shoulder. “There's someone waiting for you upstairs,”
Kagome was already leaving. “And would that someone have long white hair and puppy dog ears?” she teased, before treading upstairs.
Mama smiled, shaking her head. I expected him to come straight downstairs, she thought.He really wanted to see her today…

Kagome arrived on the landing, swinging on the banister and resting her hands on her bedroom door all in one movement. She'd been sixteen for two months now and wasn't the only one to realise that she was overflowing with luck. It was as if, after a whole year of nothing but fighting and killing, she was being rewarded.
As if. It wasn't fair that she was getting what she wanted. It was almost too good to be true, sometimes. And other times it hurt people - hurt them a lot. `Be careful what you wish for' was a common saying… and only now did Kagome understand it. Because the day she'd turned sixteen, Kikyo had died.
“Inuyasha? Are you in there?” she called, knocking on her own bedroom door. It made her feel silly, but if he were asleep or something… There was no answer. Kagome frowned - not honestly believing he was mad at her or anything. It wasn't like she'd wanted Kikyo to die. She just wanted her… out of the way. Or rather, she'd wished Inuyasha wouldn't have loved her anymore. Be careful what you wish for…
She opened her bedroom door, the pink walls coming into view. “Inuyash-” she stopped. There's no one in here… Shutting her bedroom door behind her, she frowned. “Inuyasha?”
“There's someone waiting for you upstairs,” Kagome remembered her Mama saying. Then, where is he, Mama? He wouldn't have left already, would he? Kagome deflated. And I wanted to see him so badly… I wonder how he's coping?
Sighing, she sat down on her bed, picking up a pillow and placing it on her lap. Fiddling with the lace edges, she looked out of her bedroom window at the cloudless sky. He's been acting weird for a while now…
Her bedroom door opened. “Kagome?” Kagome's head snapped up. There - standing in her doorway - was Inuyasha, looking a little depressed but still with a smile on his face. “When did you get home?” he asked.
Kagome turned away from him. “Oh? And I thought you had superhuman hearing,” she mused, putting the pillow back in place.
Inuyasha walked towards her, frowning. “Not when my ears are plugged up by your brother's metal things…”
“What metal things?” Kagome turned back, only to see him sit down next to her.
“These things that, you know, sing and stuff.”
Kagome sniggered. “They're called headphones. And they don't sing. They're playing music - it's pre-recorded so people can listen to it. You know? A CD player?”
Inuyasha frowned, screwing up his face. “Well, I didn't like it.” His ears twitched at the thought. “And what kind of music is that anyway?”
Kagome sighed and fell back on her bed, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at him. “You don't understand,” she groaned. “Things change. Technology is advanced now. And plenty of things are different - you know that.” She shut her eyes. “It's hard to explain everything so just… don't ask me questions anymore.”
“Keh!” Inuyasha grabbed the pillow in midair and put it down on the floor, folding his arms and turning away, not willing to admit that he was hurt. So what if he didn't understand? It wasn't his fault that he was from the past. But talking about metal things that played music wasn't what he'd come to see Kagome about.
He let the matter drop and looked anywhere but at Kagome. “So… how have you been?” he asked, not normally waiting for a reply so anxiously. They'd argued the other day… and he hoped that she wasn't still raw about it.
“Fine,” Kagome said, raising her voice as if she didn't know why he was asking her that. If anyone, she should be asking him. “Look, if it's about that argument…”
“No, no. I'm sorry `bout that.” Inuyasha looked down, eyes narrowed - staring at something only he could see. Kagome gave him a quick look. He looked so… lost. Not like his normal self. Ever since-
Kagome suddenly felt the need to wake him up, to remind him that he wasn't the only one hurting. She wanted attention. She clenched her fists and glared at him. “It's not my fault!” she screeched, pounding her bed and standing up. “Stop… thinking it was my idea! It wasn't me who killed her!”
Inuyasha almost fell back in shock. If he'd looked sad before, now he looked close to tears - and Inuyasha wasn't the crying type. She'd made him jump out of his skin; she'd turned so suddenly. She must be under a lot of stress… He didn't blame her for what happened to Kikyo… it wasn't like Kagome was someone who could do that.
She'd saved Kikyo once - twice, even! - and Inuyasha was pretty sure that if it came down to it she'd do it again. And then, all in one moment, he noticed that Kagome was crying.
“I… I only wanted you to forget about her…” Kagome dropped to the floor, knees sliding together as she bowed her head - her green skirt resting neatly about her. “I… I just wanted you to love me… as much as you love her,” this, she said without anger - without flinching. She put pure determination behind it, and it sent Inuyasha reeling.
But… but she doesn't… He looked away. “You wanted that?” he murmured.
Kagome, on the floor, didn't answer. She'd just realised how she'd switched moods so suddenly. What's wrong with me? She wondered. This isn't meat all.
“Kagome?” Inuyasha looked at her… really looked at her. The way her hair sometimes fell about her face like his - with the ear tails hanging down to her shirt. The way her eyes glinted when she was happy or upset. The way she would fiddle with her fingers when she was nervous. All that… and more made him love her and he wished that he could only admit it. “Kagome?” he prompted again.
She looked up suddenly. Inuyasha sighed. “I asked you a question.”
Kagome frowned. “S'funny. I thought you didn't want an answer. You're obviously too disgusted with me to want me to say `yes'.”
Inuyasha shot up, sleeves flailing around at the short burst of energy. “That's not true!” Dropping suddenly as if Kagome had said `sit', he sat down opposite her and grabbed her hands. “I didn't say I blamed you! I didn't say I didn't love you! And what gave you the idea that you were… were only second best?”
Kagome refused to look up. Luck? She didn't have any luck at all. Why did she think that she could be happy for one minute - when stuff like this always kept happening?
“Kagome, look at me!” Inuyasha let go of her hands and grabbed either side of her face, pulling her head up so their eyes locked. “I…” he began, but then stopped, trying to find the right words, the sudden anger washing out of him as quickly as it had come.
Kagome did look at him - she drank him in. His snow-white hair that she always wished she could put up into a ponytail. His amber eyes that shone like the sunset. The worry and sadness in his face that drove away all other emotions. No, wait... Not all emotions. There was still one left. Love. Undying, pure love.
Inuyasha shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Oh please… Kagome prayed. Please let him tell me that he loves me…
“Kagome, I have something to ask you.” Inuyasha said softly, brushing his hair back with one hand. The other one was now wandering back to one of Kagome's own hands, his fingers ready to lock together and entwine with hers.
“Mm?” Kagome prompted, feeling the tears evaporate from her eyes. This is our moment… she thought. Themoment… and nothing will take this away from us.
Inuyasha sighed. Their fingers snapped together, hands joined. “I know you told me not to ask you any more questions, but please, one more.” Kagome looked a little confused, almost forgetting what she'd said earlier. Did Inuyasha really pay that much attention to what she said? She nodded, though. At that, Inuyasha started up again, almost hesitant. “And if I ask you this, promise me that you'll say `yes'.”
Kagome sniggered. “There's not much point in asking a question if you already know the answer.” But she waited for him to speak anyway.
Inuyasha secretly smiled behind his hair, ears perking on top of his head. Kagome leant forward, expectantly. When he did speak, she was swept away… only to land in his arms.