InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Synthetic Twilight ❯ II ( Chapter 2 )

“I've got a secret, a secret that could change your life. If you want to hear it, the cost is one bottle of sake, and I don't want the cheap stuff, high quality only.”

Kagome stopped and stared at the man on the street corner incredulously.

“Such an important secret for only a bottle of sake? Must not be that important,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

The man grinned, “It wouldn't be a secret if you just paid attention, miko. But I'll help you out for a bottle. It's a fair trade, I'd say.”

She turned around to get a better look at the man, and felt a faint demonic aura. A bit startled, she could feel her power growing to see through whatever enchantment the man was using to conceal himself. A few people around her looked startled, when she noticed the few of them crossing the street to distance themselves from her were demons too. She focused more on the man, who was turning out to look decidedly more froggish by the second. Still, he seemed vaguely familiar, if only she could remember where she'd seen him! “You-“

The man held his hands out in a placating manner, “Mean you absolutely no harm, stop drawing attention to us. Do you want the secret or not?”

Kagome nodded once before stalking off to a small store nearby to buy a bottle for the man. Returning, she held out the brown bag to the man, who, looking into the bag turned up his nose.

“I said `high quality' not `mediocre'!”

“A point you can argue with the shop owner after I'm gone, stop wasting my time.”

The man huffed, “You've cut and dyed your hair in an attempt to look less like Kikyo, but you act more like her than ever before.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the man, “That was your secret?!” she turned to leave.

Smiling, the man congratulated himself on getting a rise out of the woman. Speaking a little louder to make sure she heard him he said, “It's been open for a while. You're not locked out anymore. They need you.”

Kagome stopped walking and turned to look at the man, but he was gone.

 

Further down the street a short, balding man's phone rang in the breast pocket of his business suit, “Yes, milord?”

“Is it done?”

“Of course, milord! Your faithful servant would never fail you!”

“Good. Jaken?”

“Yes, milord?”

“Pick up my suits from the drycleaner on your way home.”

Jaken seemed to deflate a little, “Yes, milord.”

 

********

 

 

It had been over a week since she had spoken to the man on the street corner. She had supposed the girl that she used to be would've ran straight to the shrine and headfirst into the well. That girl had almost flunked out of school and had to work her ass off to barely graduate. This girl had a month of vacation time saved up that she was using in a week. People who tended to call in sick a lot were fired, and she didn't need that on her record if she came back.

 

She smiled warily. If she came back, there might not be an Inuyasha to save her this time. Would Miroku, Sango, and Shippo still be at the village? Kaede was old when she left, was she even still alive? No, she didn't suppose she could depend on them, so she'd have to be prepared to defend herself alone.

 

Turning the safety on the gun she carried, she took the clip out and placed it back in her bag. She'd have to reload it later. The semiautomatic handgun wouldn't be good for long range shooting, but it'd be great if anything got in too close. She tossed her earplugs into the trash on her way to sign out at the shooting range. The man at the counter smiled, “Miss Higurashi! I haven't seen you in a few months! Great shooting as always. Those looked like tracers you were shooting, may I ask what those were?”

 

Kagome smiled at the bear demon, she knew he knew what they were, but was asking more for the benefit of the curious onlookers. Always the odd one out, no matter the era apparently. “Oh those? Something the company I work for has been developing for people who like hunting at night, you know? It's still in development though, won't be on sale for a while.”

The man nodded, “Interesting, so what company do you work for?”

She winked, “Can't be telling you that, I could get fired if they found out that I was out in public trying them out. You understand.”

The man grinned, “Of course, Miss Higurashi. Always a pleasure.”

 

Kagome sat her bag in the passenger seat of her car and rubbed her temples. She was becoming a little too good at telling those lies with a straight face. She had been looking forward to using that vacation time to go on a trip to Guam. Not as glamorous as Hawaii maybe, but the beaches were just as nice and not nearly as crowded. She let out a sigh, threw the car into gear and headed towards the Higurashi Shrine, if she thought she had a headache now, she knew her head would be pounding after the long drive through Tokyo's traffic.

 

*********

 

 

Kagome was thankful that she had kept working out as she reached the top step of the shrine and didn't feel winded. Something else that would definitely come in handy when she went back through the well. The well… the breeze picked up softly and blew the leaves her grandfather was sweeping in a small whirlwind. She shook her head, not yet. She could hear her grandfather mumbling something about the wind not respecting their elders as the breeze died down.

“Grandpa, I think the wind's decidedly much, much older than you, “ she said smiling at the old man.

He clucked his tongue, “Could say the same about you too you know. Though I'd think you'd at least have the decency to not blow around what an old man's trying to sweep.” He sighed and propped the broom against one of the storage buildings, “Much too windy for sweeping anyway. What brings you by? Heard mama was making oden, eh?”

Kagome shook her head, “No, just dropped by to practice on my archery for a little while. But if mama's making oden, I guess I could stay for dinner.”

“Go out to your targets then, I'll let mama know you'll be eating dinner with us tonight.”

 

Kagome strung her bow, firing the first few arrows into the bull's-eye. Concentrating, she charged the arrows with her power and began firing sacred arrows in a relatively straight line going horizontally across the target, and then switched to firing them vertically. She heard a slight cough behind her as she was pulling the arrows out of the target. She turned around to see her grandfather giving her a strange look.

“It's been a long time, since I've seen you shoot a sacred arrow, I guess you know then,” he said softly. “When I first noticed, I tried to seal it up. But I-,” he sighed, “You and I both know I don't have that sort of power. The family's power had been weakening over the last few generations. At first we were alarmed, then we gradually came to accept it. Times were changing. Instead of evil spirits causing trouble, it was mostly man's doing. You can't purify an evil man, no matter how black the heart because he's still a man. You can throw a barrier to keep him out, but how can you tell one man from the next?

Then you were born, your father and I were alarmed at the aura you carried. We knew it was a sign something big was coming. When you came back that last time, I thought it was over, you know? Back to normal, whatever that may be, I'm not sure anymore,” he grinned. “I guess the past, destiny, whatever force this is, isn't finished with you. Just be careful, we're all proud of you.” He paused, thinking for a moment, “Oh, and mamma says dinner's ready. Souta's probably eaten half of it already. Lousy teenagers, how's an old man supposed to eat a decent meal in peace?! Should've sent him out instead,” he grumbled, heading back towards the house.

 

Kagome stared blankly at her grandfather's retreating back and began replacing the practice arrows into the quiver. On her way out of the storage building she paused to look at Goshinbo, the God Tree, standing in the middle of the shrine. She remembered thinking once, if someone were to cut it down, would the world stop? She smiled, that tree would probably crush the poor bastard that came within ten feet of it holding a chainsaw with a tree branch. She caressed the bark fondly then leaned against the tree, “Guess you already know how it ends, don't you? Too bad you're not going to talk.” Kagome gasped as she felt a jolt of cool power run through her.

 

Kikyo ran through the forest, holding her side. Souls were escaping from her and her soul collectors were frantically trying to gather more to sustain their master. She stared at the Goshinbo, every part of her wanted to stop and rest under the tree, she felt so tired. She shook her head, “No time, I must destroy the seal on the well before I pass on.”

 

“Well you've certainly succeeded in shoving my foot in my mouth,” she sighed. “It's going to be a long week.” Goshinbo's branches swayed with the wind.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha.