InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Jewel of Four Souls ❯ The Hardest Thing to Do ( Chapter 5 )

After some thought, I've decided to lower the rating. At this time, it's more of a “T” than M as originally thought to be. It should stay as such unless unforeseen events surface.

 

Disclaimer: Still don't own it… for further disclaimer, see previous chapters.

 

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Chapter 5 “The Hardest Thing to Do”

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Morning seemed to have come all too quick. A rooster was crowing as dawn cracked over the ever-lightening horizon. Sleepily, Miroku stirred and rolled onto his side. Blinking open his weary eyes, he was a little startled to find Sango snuggled so close to him as she lay fast asleep. Still not use to their growing relationship.

 

`Someday my dear Sango…' He thought to himself, resisting the temptation to fondle her while she slept. But alas he failed as he reached over to stroke her rear. Miroku sighed in happy relief upon the firm feel she had despite the cloth that covered her. His perverted mind began undressing her with his eyes. Remembering every detail in all those glances while she was bathing. `What a heavenly sight she is…'

 

SLAP! Sango's hand hammered over the monk's cheek. Clearly not thrilled to wake and have a hand stroking her butt. Miroku smirked despite the all too familiar red mark on his face.

 

“What do you think you're doing!?”

 

“Mmm… glad to see you awake my dear Sango.” He feigned innocence.

 

Before too long the entire hut's occupants were awake, save for Kagome of course. InuYasha sat where he slept, guarding the young miko from anyone and everyone. Oddly enough Miroku's antics didn't wake him. Either way though, no one bothered to pester the hanyou and went on with their morning activities. Allowing him to sleep as long as he wanted. They did find it a little odd as to why he was still being rather overly protective of the poor dear, but thought it best not to ask. InuYasha after all had a reason for seemingly everything. Though that reason wasn't always clear.

 

Shortly after the hanyou woke, Shippo stretched briefly before moving over and sitting in front of InuYasha, who paid him no mind.

 

“InuYasha?”

 

“Yeah what?” He said with a hint of annoyance.

 

“Do you think there really is a way to save Kagome?”

 

“How the hell should I know? Don't you think if there was a way I'd already try?!” He hollered, completely aggravated. To be honest, he didn't want to think much of it. He barely could accept her death. The guilt was really tearing him apart internally.

 

Shippo slightly flinched but remained calm. This wasn't the first time he was yelled at by the hanyou. And given the circumstances, it was understandable as to why InuYasha was visibly upset. He was just thankful that his head didn't get pounded in for the upteenth time.

 

Sighing, he slumped down, “Poor Kagome.”

 

InuYasha kept his arms folded and continued to stare off into seemingly nothingness. Not allowing Shippo to bother his stance much. The little kitsune frowned as he stood back up on his hind legs. Without so much as a sigh, Shippo left the hut in a rather dreary state of emotion. Visibly distraught of Kagome's sudden absence from his life. InuYasha still didn't move the slightest bit as he was left alone in the hut. Still starting blankly off into the distance.

 

 

 

InuYasha took his time at approaching the Bone Eaters Well. The very place that connected his era to Kagome's era. Reaching the wooden edge, he hovered slightly over it and clutched the hard wood with a viciously tight grasp. Growling he attempted to pull a piece of the wooden panels off in frustration. Feeling no give in the wood, he calmed and stopped tugging but still kept a firm grasp on the edge of the well. Panting slightly he let his grip on the wooden well to loosen before he turned his back to it. Sighing he quickly spun around and hopped into the depths of the dark well to the modern era.

 

The blue and purple lights began to flare, surrounding his body in familiar warmth he often felt when traveling through time. His rather somber mood cooled slightly by the warming efforts of his short, yet long, journey. InuYasha touched down on the soft dirt of the modern era inside the Higurashi well house. With the lights fading, he softly sighed before leaping up out of the well. He felt in no hurry, so he calmly walked out of the well house and towards the Higurashi household. His home away from home, he found himself considering it as.

 

Although he wasn't too familiar with the modern era and all the new and unfamiliar things, he still found this time period to be somewhat enjoyable. Sure, a lot of the new technology did confuse and even scare him. A lot of which he even found threatening at first. But nonetheless was beginning to get used to. The sky, air, and water quality also wasn't quite as good as it was, but it was almost as if the city was his own concrete jungle. Leaping across buildings, riding on trucks, bounding across new obstacles, InuYasha often found this rather fun. It was a new challenge for him to conquer.

 

Of course, he didn't quite have the freedom in the modern era as he did when in the Feudal era. Kagome always held him back and tried to keep him at her home. Out of public, out of society. Naturally, like a little kid, he wanted to know why. Plus, it did hurt to be left out as he felt like he was. Heck, he was even curious as to what Kagome does normally in her own time. Even something as boring as school he wanted to know about. Miroku too knew of InuYasha's curiosity. He himself was interested in what the future held. Even if it were a future he'd never live to see. Sango however felt that someday InuYasha would wind up in a bit of trouble. “Curiosity killed the dog.” She ended up saying one day.

 

It was difficult for him to accept the fact that society once again wouldn't accept him. At least, Kagome said they wouldn't. And he really couldn't argue that fact either. He being part demon in an era in which demons no longer existed. There was just no way anyone from the modern era would accept him if they knew the truth. Then again, the only one who seemingly did was Kagome.

 

InuYasha was so hung on that fact that he didn't include the rest of Kagome's family. He couldn't dwindle on the fact very much longer as the door to the Higurashi household was already centimeters from his face. Standing stiff as a board, he hesitated in making a move. Taking a deep breath he entered the quiet home and calmly looked around.

 

Seeing no one, he set out in search of anyone. He could smell the scent of Kagome's mother clearly. Signaling she was somewhere close by. He walked into the kitchen, not realizing she was actually standing right behind him. A quick sniff alerted him to her location as he spun around. The woman beamed him a warm smile as InuYasha stood with a perplexed look at how she was able to sneak up behind him like that. The only logical thing he could come up with was that he was too distracted to concentrate.

 

“Hello there. Would you like something to eat?” She offered.

 

“…No, I-“

 

“Where's Kagome? I didn't see her come in with you.”

 

InuYasha tensed as he looked blankly out a window. He sighed then bowed his head.

 

“InuYasha…?”

 

He could have sworn he heard a sob. “I don't know how to begin telling this…”

 

Miss Higurashi was already beginning to show tears. She knew something had to have happened to her daughter when InuYasha arrived without her. And with the look on his face, something terrible took place. It took all she had just to seem happy and unknowing. But once InuYasha had begun the walls came down in an instant.

 

“…Kagome…Kagome, she…died while fighting Naraku.” InuYasha lowered his head further, not looking at anything in particular. He lightly bit his lower lip, expecting some sort of verbal lashing. But nothing came. Just the smell of tears.

 

Miss Higurashi stepped forward and fell into InuYasha's arms weeping. She knew it. Her feelings and her fears were right. He held the woman close in a loose embrace allowing her to cry on his chest. He was at a complete loss for words and actions. All he could do was hold the crying mother, and try to contemplate his thoughts. Perhaps even provide what little comfort he felt he could bring.

 

“I'm sorry… I… I failed to protect her like I promised.” He almost regretfully stated. It really hurt to admit that. But somehow he did feel a little better confessing that to someone very important to him. Yet at the same time devastated his inner being. He didn't know why he desired to continue on. To tell the poor woman how he failed in protecting her daughter like he promised himself he would.

 

He felt her shake her head into his chest. “No…” she said slightly muffled.

 

“Forgive me… I shouldn't have let her stay-”

 

“No. …I …I can't blame you. …I never will. Kagome wanted to be by your side. And she was.” She half-sobbed.

 

Miss Higurashi pulled herself from InuYasha and plucked a tissue from its box and tried to dry her face. InuYasha stood still, watching. Wondering. Wanting her to stop crying.

 

“InuYasha…”

 

The hanyou did all he could and embraced Miss Higurashi again. He just wanted to hold someone in his arms. Someone who felt as miserable as he did at the moment. A stray tear fell from his face as he struggled with the inner war within him. Sesshomaru said Kagome's death was his fault. And yet Miss Higurashi knew and said it wasn't. He didn't know whom to believe. He did promise Kagome that he'd protect her though…

 

“…You'll always be welcomed in this family. Thank you for all you have done.”

 

InuYasha stiffened. Did he hear that right?

He was welcomed. For once in his life, someone, a human, accepted him as part of their family. Even after he failed to protect a member of it.

She, and even the rest of the family, never did criticize him about his heritage. In fact, they never really did seem to mind what he was, save for Jiichan sometimes. He was a half-demon, and they treated him like a normal person. Kagome was that link that bonded him with her family. She is what brought her family to trust in him, to believe in him, to look up to him, and even to love him. Not just as a half-demon, but as a person. He realized that now.

But what was he to do now?

 

 

What indeed? Don't forget to review!

 

-King RTS-I'm the King of My World!